Chennai: Despite being bogged down by traffic congestion the Chennai Port, Kamarajar port (formerly Ennore Port) is stealing the show in export of cars and Tamil Nadu ports are the second largest in the country after Gujarat in terms of handling cargo.
The major ports in Tamil Nadu have handled about 129 million tons cargo — Chennai: 50 million tons, Tuticorin: 37 mt and Kamarajar: 32.21 mt while the minor ports including Kattupalli, Cuddalore and Karaikal could have contributed about 10 million tons.
During 2015-16, the Kamarajar Port which handled 32.21 million tons cargo, could not meet the Union shipping ministry’s target owing to the massive inundation in December 2015 which impacted the evacuation of cargo from the port.
Nevertheless, the automobile exports from the port, for the period also recorded a marginal increase as several key players such as Ford, Nissan, Daimler and Ashok Leyland exported over 2.16 lakh units cars from the port.
Kamarajar port is likely to play a crucial role in stepping up of the automobile exports. Besides, it has handled 25.61 million tons thermal coal during 2015-16, nearly eight per cent of which was meant for TN government owned thermal plants in the port’s vicinity. Coal imports too have went up by 6.48 per cent compared to previous year.
Also, Toyota Motors which has a plant near Bengaluru, had used the port for its exports, say sources. With the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre bagging investments worth Rs 82,905 crores across 141 memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed during the Maritime India Summit 2016, the Union road transport, highways and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari is hopeful of ushering in a blue revolution in five years through port development. The Centre is also betting high on the Enayam major port near Colachel in Kanyakumari district to be part of the success story.
