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Vizag Port targets 80 million tonnes cargo handling in 2021-22 | Visakhapatnam News

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VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) targets to achieve 80 million tonnes of cargo handling in the 2021-22 fiscal. VPT stood third among the major ports in India consecutive second year with 69.84 million tonnes despite of Covid conditions after Paradip Port and Goa. This is the second highest annual cargo throughput in the history of VPT.
VPT has shown its resilience against the severe disruptions in supply chains and economic downturn due to Covid 19 pandemic. Even after this also, the VPT almost reached last year’s performance of 72.72 million tonnes, with a shortfall of only three million tonnes against the previous year’s achievement.
The VPT’s decline in cargo handling is only 4% whereas the decline recorded in the other major ports was about 7%. Major decline in the cargo is mainly imports of coking coal 27% and steam coal at around 45% less have shown impact on the cargo handling. Luckily, an increase in iron ore and pellets handling (31%) and other cargo (22%) has given space to reach the 69 million tonnes.
The VPT chairman K Rama Mohana Rao said that there was an increase in exports of Iron Ore and finished steel to China and increase in iron pellets movement to Gujarat. “We have improved the average waiting time of a ship to 1.15 hours as against the 1.22 hours.A total of 2040 ships were handled in this fiscal as against 2099 in the 2019-20,” he said. Chairman added that they are not targeting to achieve 77 million tonnes to 80 million tonnes cargo handling in the present fiscal.
The port has recorded an operating surplus of Rs. 698 crore and a net surplus before tax was Rs. 306 crore. “Installation of electronic route relay interlocking system to do away with manual intervention in railway signalling operation would be completed.extension of existing container terminal with an additional capacity to handle 5.4 lakh TEU would be completed by the end of December this year,” Rama Mohana Rao said.
The port chairman said that Ambient Air Quality levels are under control” Port alone is not causing pollution to the city. Even during the lockdown period, VPT handled cargo and there was no pollution. “Everyone came to know that the pollution levels dropped during the lockdown period as all industries were shut down at that time. I request the public to know that port is not the one causing pollution in the city,” he said.
Environmental Command Control Centre was commissioned at Administrative building premises to monitor environmental issues and maintain pollution free environment in the port vicinity. Sapling of around 1.02 lakh plantation was carried out in the fiscal.

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