Despite a distinct slowdown on the part of port users in the past couple of months, the New Mangalore Port Trust is proceeding with its plan of building five new berths.
Despite a distinct slowdown on the part of port users in the past couple of months, the New Mangalore Port Trust is proceeding with its plan of building five new berths.
?The new berths are being added under the public-private participation model at an estimated investment of Rs10bn ($210m) over the next three years,? said NMPT chairman P Tamilvanan.
?The port is committed to create additional infrastructure for the smooth handling of all types of cargo as per the plans laid down for it in the National Maritime Development Programme.?
Mr Tamilvanan denied that the economic slowdown has had an adverse impact on the port"s operations. He claimed that the port trust needed to provide the necessary infrastructure to cope with an increase in the number of vessels expected to call at New Mangalore in the future.
While two out of five berths are being constructed by the port trust for multiple users, three are being built by port users for their own cargo.
For the first two berths, the NMPT will spend Rs2.4bn, whereas the investment from private parties will be Rs7.3bn. Among these berths, one will be dedicated to handling containerised cargo.
?We have received expressions of interest for the Rs3.5bn new container berth from nine global companies,? Mr Tamilvanan said.
?Our container traffic has been growing extremely well. During the first eight months of the current fiscal year, we have recorded 20,479 teu, which marks a 50% increase in box traffic over the same period in 2007-2008.?
The addition of two container-handling reach stackers has helped, as has an increase in the stacking capacity of the yard.
A sharp rise in the arrival of mainline vessels from East and West African countries with cargoes of raw cashew nuts for the Indian cashew processing industry has enhanced the port"s cargo statistics.
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