The Hindu

Mangalore, Oct 30: Container traffic handled at the New Mangalore Port (NMP) has crossed the 10,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2006-07 as against annual container traffic of 9,646 TEUs handled in 2005-06.

A press release from S Gopalakrishna, traffic manager, New Mangalore Port Trust, here said the enhanced handling of containers had been possible owing to increase in frequency of container vessels calling on the port.

This coupled with movement of more containerised cargo from the hinterland through the port had added to the increase in container traffic, he said.

One more relief vessel M V Achiever has started calling on the port to handle additional cargo moving through the port.

This is in addition to a new line started by M/s Relay Shipping connecting NMPT with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. Railway traffic has also shown an upward growth since the Mangalore-Hassan broad gauge line was commissioned on May 5.

During the first half of current financial year, the port handled 12 lac tonnes by rail as against the annual railway traffic of 15 lac tonnes handled in 2005-06.

The port also achieved an all time record handling 20,174 metric tonnes (mt) of limestone brought by M V Talisman on October 24 utilising the newly constructed deep draught multi-purpose berth.

This is highest quantity of limestone handled at the port in a day from a single vessel, surpassing earlier record of 13,311 mt handled on February 24 from M V Jag Vikram.