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Visakhapatnam port chairman M T Krishna Babu has said that the port has handled 20.64 million tonnes of cargo till the end of July during the current financial year against 19.72 million tonnes last year, registering a growth of 5 per cent.
He was reviewing the performance of the port here on Friday after unfurling the National Flag on the occasion of Independence Day at Diamond Jubilee Stadium, Nehru Place.
Dredging works
He said the port had completed dredging of outer harbour channel in March 2014 for handling capesize vessels. It was able to navigate the first-ever capesize vessel, m.v. MGM Sailor, on March 10.
The dredging works of inner harbour to facilitate the navigation of 14 m draft vessels would be completed on schedule and the port would be able soon be above to handle fully laden panamax vessels in the inner harbour.
Krishna Babu said the port had been in the forefront among major ports in capacity addition. A significant capacity of 20.43 mt was added in 2013-14, the highest among all major ports, and "our capacity as on date is 87.76 mt. The highest capital expenditure of Rs 261 crore in the history of port was spent in 2013-14."
Higher growth
He said the port sector was expected to improve further in 2014-15 due to stronger external demand from advanced economies. The growth was projected to pick up gradually from 4.7 per cent in 2013 to about 5 per cent in 2014 and 5.3 per cent in 2015.
The traffic handled at 12 major ports during the current fiscal up to July-end was 191 mt when compared to 185 mt during the corresponding period, registering an increase of 3 per cent.
New projects
Krishna Babu said the port had taken up ambitious projects to augment its capacity and also to modernise the existing berths.
The development of WQ-6 berth for handling multi-cargoes and EQ-10 for handling liquid cargoes in the inner harbour taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 170 crore were progressing and they would be operational by October.
EQ-1A berth for handling thermal coal and back loading of steam coal in the inner harbour taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 313.39 crore would be ready by March 2015.
He said concessions would be awarded soon for upgrading iron ore handling facilities at the outer harbour and another project - extension of existing container terminal - agreement would be signed shortly. These projects would bring in an investment of Rs 1,479 crore.
Installation of mechanised fertiliser handling facilities at EQ-7 berth in the inner harbour at an estimated cost of Rs 218 crore may be grounded soon. Development of WQ-7 & 8 in the inner harbour taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 195 crore with the internal resources of VPT was progressing on schedule.
With the above developments, more than 90 per cent of cargo handling operations at the port would be completely mechanised and the port would be able to handle higher volumes with enhanced efficiency besides providing a long-lasting solution to the environmental problems. By the end of 2016-17, the capacity would be increased to 124 mt.
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