Cargo handling by West Bengal ports to drop

Cargo handling by Haldia port and the Kolkata Port Trust in India's West Bengal state together will drop by nine million tonnes in the current fiscal year compared to 2009, according to agency reports.

Chairman of Kolkata Port Trust Anindo Mazumdar, said: "The Haldia Port and the Kolkata Port Trust together are expected to handle 45 million tonnes of cargo in the current fiscal compared to 54 million tonnes in 2008-09."

He said that cargo handling will drop because of the direct crude pipeline installed by state-owned IOC from Paradip port to Haldia. Earlier, Haldia port used to handle the IOC crude oil cargo.

Mazumdar said that in line with the recommendations of the tendering committee, a new tender will be floated next month for opening of a new route, Eden Channel, to bypass the heavily silted channels of Haldia port – Auckland and Jellingham. 

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