Vizag Port retains third position, handles second highest throughput

Visakhapatnam: BRAVING challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic, Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT), which was set up wayback in 1933, has retained third position among 12 major ports.

As against a traffic of 72.72 million tonne achieved in 2019-20, VPT throughput during the financial year was 69.84 million tonne. This could be achieved despite the pandemic as well as stiff competition from neighbouring private ports and decrease in volumes of coal, POL, container and primary cargo.

VPT, which relegated JNPT to fourth slot, was also successful for a repeat performance during FY 2020-21. Deendayal (Kandla) and Paradip ports also retained first and second positions among the major ports. "Our shortfall in handling coking coal and steam coal has been compensated with substantial increase in exports of iron ore, pellets and steel to China," a senior official of VPT told Bizz Buzz on Thursday.

Competitive handling charges, faster evacuation of cargo and end-to-end solution offered by the port yielded good results for VPT notwithstanding the impact of lockdown and later slowdown in industrial production. Exports to China helped in meeting the target as there was delay in reviving the industrial production in that country after recovery from the pandemic. Railway traffic also witnessed a significant growth during the fiscal.

VPT authorities are happy that their efforts in augmentation of infrastructure, commissioning of OR3, West Quay 6, additional storage facilities and support from the port community and other stakeholders helped in retaining third rank among the premier ports.

Incidentally, coal exports declined heavily due to focus on domestic production and scaling down of generation by thermal power plants due to high demand for solar power over cost advantage. India achieved a coal production of 23 million tonne.

There was a decline in container cargo imports. However, exports witnessed an increase. The shortage of containers post pandemic impacted the overall container movement from VPT, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Paradip and other ports.