Kandla port on track to keep top position

Kandla port, which had handled the highest cargo traffic among all major ports in the country last fiscal, has maintained an upward trend in handling traffic in the first quarter ending June of the current year by handling 8.5 million tonnes of dry and liquid cargo against 7 million tonnes handled in the corresponding period of the previous year.   

However, Kandla port's satellite oil port at Vadinar, which had handled more crude oil traffic than Kandla last year, has not been able to maintain the same pace this time. "Vadinar had handled 10.2 million tonnes of crude oil and finished products in the first quarter of 2008-09, but this year the figure is 8.8 million tonnes.

The drop is due to our two clients, IOC and Essar Oil, going in for maintenance of their oil refineries in May. But this drop in cargo handling would easily be made up in the remaining period of the financial year," MA Bhaskarachar, deputy chairman of KPT, told DNA.

"There is no doubt about our emerging as the top port this year also, as we are confident of achieving the target of handling 78 million tonnes set by the shipping  ministry. We are in the process of expanding our facilities. Our 40 hectare open area for storage of various types of bulk cargo is almost ready. About 90% work for it is over and the rest will be completed shortly. It will mainly handle imported coal to the tune of 3.9 million tonnes this year," he said. 

He said that following clearance from the govt, they were working on a war footing to initiate work for construction of four more dry cargo jetties -13 to 16. He said they were now in the midst of pre-bid tender process for price. He said now nine parties were in the fray. "If everything goes well, we will soon give work order to the successful bidder," he said.

He said they had already started the process for setting up of port-based 6000 ha multi-product Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and were issuing tenders for appointment of experts on contract basis for this. He said they would soon set up a special cell in KPT for this as this was a Rs7,000 crore project of the port trust.

Bhaskarachar said they had also initiated steps for the all-round development of Vadinar. "We plan to have a dry cargo jetty there as the oil port has deep draft to handle bigger vessels. We will appoint a consultant. We have already received tenders, which would be opened shortly.

He declined to make any comment when asked about a technically-qualified bidder moving the Gujarat high court challenging its exclusion for the project.