KPT takes efforts to diversify cargo mix at Haldia

Kolkata Port Trust (KPT) is making efforts to diversify HaldiaÂ’s cargo mix and attract larger volumes of existing cargoes.

The port trust intends to diversify the cargo at Haldia because the latter lost over 10 million tonne (mn t) of crude oil traffic to Paradip port. The port lost the crude oil traffic because IndianOil Corporation decided to import larger quantities through the Odisha port and transport it through the Paradip-Haldia crude pipeline network constructed for the purpose.

But the efforts of Kolkata Port Trust to diversify cargo mix at Haldia has not borne fruit as yet, reports suggest.

In another instance of lost cargo, the Mormugao Port Trust lost the bulk of about 40 mn t of iron ore traffic it used to handle because of ban on mining in Karnataka and Goa.

The loss has dealt a severe blow to the port because iron ore accounted for almost 90 per cent of the portÂ’s total traffic.

Attempts are being made to handle other cargoes such as granite, foodgrains and maize, but to recover the loss of about 40 mnt of traffic is not so easy, particularly when there is a general slowdown of the economy with sluggish GDP growth and declining export growth owing to the recession in the western world.