The Hindu
Mangalore, May 16: New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) is expecting to post a profit of more than Rs. 100 crore for the fourth year in a row in 2008-09 and the revenue is expected to cross Rs. 320 crore for the second consecutive year.
Chairman of the New Mangalore Port Trust P. Tamilvanan told presspersons here on Thursday that the exact figures would emerge in a few weeks.
For the sixth year in a row, NMPT has achieved the highest labour productivity among major ports (1,143 tonnes in 2007-08), while it has emerged the third in terms of the lowest operating cost per tonne among major ports (Rs. 38.83 in 2007-08).
In 2008-09, the port handled 36.69 million tonnes of cargo as against 36.02 million tonnes in the previous year — a 1.86 per cent growth. He said the port handled 1,184 vessels during the fiscal as against 1,144 vessels during the previous year. The container traffic has increased by 32.06 per cent — 28,555 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2008-09 as against 21,460 TEUs in the previous year.
Achievements
Mr. Tamilvanan listed the other achievements as follows: six main line vessels (those coming directly from another nation) handled during 2008-09, of which four vessels came from East Africa (Port Matwara) and two from West Africa (Port Benin); handling of LPG traffic of 1.56 million tonnes (1.44 million tonnes in 2007-08); handling of 8.60 million tonnes of iron ore fines (7.29 million tonnes); handling of 1.92 million tonnes of coal (1.69 million tonnes); and handling of 7.67 lakh tonnes of limestone (6.98 lakh tonnes).
He said the port had discharged the highest quantity of 15,259 tonnes of fertilizer (Muriate of Potash) from a vessel in a day on January 9 surpassing the earlier record of 11,504 tonnes.
Besides commissioning a modern cruise lounge and railway line inside the port, NMPT had built two covered sheds of 3,500 square metres at a cost of Rs. 5 crore to store 14,000 tonnes of fertilizer. Two more sheds of similar sizes would be constructed soon.
It had acquired a new speed boat for patrolling by armed Central Industrial Security Force in the port waters.
He said the port had obtained environmental clearance for the construction of berth for handling petroleum, oil, lubricants and crude oil.
Approval from the Government was awaited for the estimates, Mr. Tamilvanan said.
NMPT has proposed to construct a bulk handling berth, a multi-purpose general cargo berth, develop a container terminal and a port-based SEZ and set up a bulk cement handling facility, according to Mr. Tamilvanan.