SMP, Kolkata attains new high in cargo handling

<div style="text-align: justify;">Mr P. L. Haranadh, Chairman, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMP, Kolkata) has highlighted that the port handled an all-time high cargo traffic of 54.254 million tonnes (mt) during April 2022 to January 2023, compared to 47.282 mt in the same period of the previous year, thereby registering a growth of 14.75% which is much higher than the national average.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">He also pointed out that SMP, Kolkata was ranked 5th in cargo handling amongst the Major Ports during the period, as against 6th in the previous fiscal.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Highlighting some of the other performance figures during the period under review, he said Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) handled 40.162 mt vis-&agrave;-vis 34.749 mt, an increase of 15.58%.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Kolkata Dock System (KDS) handled 14.092 mt as against 12.533 mt, up 12.44%.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">During April 2022 to January 2023, SMP, Kolkata handled rail-borne traffic of 28.823 mt (KDS-4.92 mt, HDC-23.903 mt) against 24.974 mt (KDS-4.91 mt, HDC-20.064 mt) in April 2021 to January 2022, registering a growth of 15.41%. 1,221 rakes were received and 1,249 despatched at KDS; at HDC, 5,293 rakes were received and 5,300 despatched.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">The major commodities that contributed to the growth in traffic during the period were LPG, vegetable oils, other liquids, manganese ore, iron &amp; steel, pulses, coking coal, containers etc. at Kolkata Dock System (KDS), and POL (crude), LPG, other ores, coking coal, non-coking coal, fly ash, limestone etc. at Haldia Dock Complex (HDC).</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">The Chairman emphasised that this success has been achieved due to the growth in diverse cargo, new and additional cargo being handled, along with the port&rsquo;s multi-faceted user-friendly measures like better services, improved facilities, cost-effective and customer-friendly charges, as well as the all-out efforts of the port employees.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">SMP, Kolkata is projected to handle more than 65 million tonnes by the end of 2022-23 as against 58.175 million tonnes in 2021-22, he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Source: <span id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT92_com_zimbra_url" class="Object" role="link"><a href="http://www.eximin.net" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.eximin.net</a></span></div>