IANS | 02 Apr, 2024
Paradip Port Authority has clocked a record 145.38 million metric
tonnes (MMT) cargo throughput in FY 2023-24 to nudge past Deendayal
Port, Kandla and emerge as the highest cargo handling major port of the
country, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Ports and
Shipping And Waterways on Tuesday.
For the first time in the 56 years history of operation, PPA has
surpassed previous records, set by Deendayal Port. Paradip Port has also
recorded growth of 10.02 million metric tonnes (7.4 per cent) of
traffic on a year-on-year basis, according to the statement.
During
the financial year, the Paradip port also achieved the highest-ever
coastal shipping traffic of 59.19 million metric tonnes, with a growth
of 0.76 million metric tonnes which is 1.30 per cent higher than the
previous year.
The thermal coal coastal shipping has reached 43.97
million metric tonnes which is a 4.02 per cent increase over the
previous year.
Paradip Port has been able to improve its berth
productivity to 33014 MT from 31050 MT in the previous financial year,
registering a 6.33 per cent growth.
During the financial year, the
Port has handled 21,665 rakes, registering a growth of 7.65 per cent
over the previous financial year. It has also handled 2710 ships,
registering an increase of 13.82 per cent.
The increased
performance in cargo handling has been driven by various system
improvement measures undertaken by the Port during the financial year,
which include an improved system of operation at a mechanised coal
handling plant.
This has reduced the idle time between rake
unloading and resulted in the highest handling of thermal coal at 27.12
million metric tonnes.
Another significant step has been the
northern dock of the port being declared open for handling bigger
16-metre draught cape vessels which was not being done during the
previous year.
Paradip Port has also frozen its tariff for cargo
handling at the level of 2022 for the next 3 years as a part of its
business development initiatives making it the cheapest in terms of
tariff among all the ports of the country.
The operating revenue
of the port has increased by 14.3 per cent to cross Rs 2,300 crores
compared Rs 2,074 crores in the previous fiscal year.
The operating surplus has crossed Rs.1,510 crores against last year of Rs.1,300 Crores with a growth of 16.44 per cent.
Paradip
Port, with a 289 million metric tonnes rated capacity port as on date,
is poised to cross the 300 million metric tonnes capacity mark in
another 3 years with the commissioning of the Western Dock project, the
statement added.
