New Mangalore Port seems to betting big on its infrastructure and railway connectivity to hinterland for boosting the growth of iron ore cargo traffic.

The addition of a deep-draught berth last year has started attracting more vessels to the port and the commissioning of Hassan-Mangalore railway line for freight traffic has helped in the smooth movement of iron ore cargo from the hinterland.

Anticipating the growth in cargo, the port constructed a deep-draught berth of 14 metres and put it into use in February 2006.

The Berth No. 14, commonly known as deep-draught berth, handled around 3.68 million tonnes of cargo during 2006-07, and a majority of them were iron ore cargo.

Mr P. Tamilvanan, Chairman of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), told Business Line that the port is simultaneously berthing two vessels there.

The length of that berth is 350 metres and the draught is 14 metres.

Hassan-Mangalore line

Another advantage for New Mangalore is the commissioning of Hassan-Mangalore railway line for freight traffic. On May 5, 2006 the line was commissioned for freight traffic bringing down the burden on roads and reducing the distance between the port and the hinterland mines in Bellary and Chitradurga districts. The Hassan-Mangalore line reduces the distance between New Mangalore Port and the iron ore mines in the hinterland by about 200 km. With the commissioning of the line for freight traffic, more iron ore cargoes have started moving on the railway line.

Here again, anticipating the growth in rail-bound cargo, the port had kept five railway lines ready inside the marshalling yard at Panambur near the port. These rail lines at the railway marshalling yard near the port were renovated at a cost of Rs 10 crore. Added to this, the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL) added four lines in the marshalling yard.

Mr Tamilvanan said that the port recently installed a 104-tonne capacity heavy duty harbour mobile crane. “Because of the harbour mobile crane, even the gearless vessels can come. Advantages for those vessels are that deeper draught and the availability of harbour mobile crane,” he said.

Future plans

To meet the further demand from the iron ore exporters, the port has chalked out plans, which include laying of one more line in the marshalling yard and one line inside the port premises.

“Work has been given to the Southern Railway to lay a line inside the port, and the port is going to lay one more line in the marshalling yard,” he said.

With this, the total number of port’s railway lines will reach to six (five in marshalling yard and one inside the port). The four lines laid by KIOCL in the marshalling yard are not included in this.

There is also a proposal by the port to go in for mechanisation of iron ore handling. Tenders have been received for this, he said.

Traffic pattern

The traffic of iron ore cargo has also shown a growth in the first five months of the current fiscal. The total traffic handled at the port in the first five months of the fiscal stood at 15.09 million tonnes as against 13.08 million tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year. Of this, the share of iron ore cargo stood at 3.62 million tonnes (3.11 million tonnes).

The Hassan-Mangalore railway line handled around 21.14 lakh tonnes (9.32 lakh tonnes) of cargo during the first five months of the fiscal, and iron ore cargo had a major share in this.

This is evident as the number of rakes carrying iron ore cargo is also increasing every month. As many as 463 rakes carried iron ore cargo from the hinterland till the end of August. While 65 rakes carried iron ore in April, 96 rakes brought iron ore in May. The number reached to 93 rakes in June and 95 in July. The port handled a maximum of 114 rakes of iron ore during August.

The commissioning of the railway line has also brought down the burden on roads as there is decrease in the number of lorries bringing iron ore to New Mangalore Port. Still, around 1,000 lorries bring iron ore cargo every day to New Mangalore Port. Considering this, the port has made arrangements to improve the road infrastructure both within and outside the port premises.

During the first five months of the fiscal, the total ships handling export cargo stood at 228. Of this, 115 vessels handled export iron ore cargo.

Mr Tamilvanan is confident of handling more iron ore cargo from New Mangalore Port. “Railways, deep-draught berth, the heavy duty crane and plans to go in for mechanisation of iron ore handling will help me to handle more cargo,” he added.