Vizag port has slipped to fourth position last fiscal due to varied reasons
Visakhapatnam: Cyclone Hudhdud may jeopardise the ambitious plans of Vizag port where operations are slowly getting back on track.
Vizag port, which maintained second position in cargo handling for almost three consecutive years among all the 12 public sector ports in the country earlier, has slipped to fourth position last fiscal due to varied reasons and this year cyclone Hudhud may again prove it bad for the only public sector port in the state. Vizag port is also augmenting its capacities to handle more cargo.
During the current fiscal up to July 2014, the port handled traffic of 20.64 million tonnes as against 19.72 million tonnes handled during the corresponding period the previous year. Though the port registered an increase of 5pc in the cargo handling when compared to last fiscal, according to Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) sources, it had already lost a significant chunk of cargo handling with rough estimates of 2 million tonnes due to suspension of operations for almost a week from October 12, the day Hudhud struck.
Though operations were resumed, they were running at skeletal levels. Port has handled 3.94 million tonnes of iron ore and iron ore pellets which is the highest iron ore traffic (59pc) handled among major ports.
While, last fiscal Vizag port handled around 58.06 million tonnes, Kandla stood first followed by Paradip and JNPT. Dip in the cargo handling since two years at Vizag Port has been attributed to drop in iron ore exports by China, global economic slowdown due to fall in rupee value, diversion of cargo to other ports on the east coast due to expansion and mechanization works taken up at Vizag port. VPT chairman M.T. Krishnababu, earlier said that with the three mega projects, the PCPIR, the Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor and the establishment of LNG terminal at Kakinada and also expansion plans of RINL to augment capacity, development of MSMEs, development of roads and highways for better connectivity, VPT sees prospectus in prospective demand for cargo handling at Vizag port in coming days.
