VOC Port records cargo traffic growth

Thuthukudi

Battling the tough times faced by global maritime trade due to the ripple effect caused by COVID-19 pandemic in the form of container shortage, increase in ocean freight and drop in overall merchandise trade, VO Chidambaranar Port, Thoothukudi, handled 11.33 million tonnes and 2.68 TEUs of containers during until July 2021 this fiscal, registering a growth of 7.14 per cent, its chairman TK Ramachandran said on Sunday.

In his Independence day address, he said the port was proactively working towards achieving ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ initiatives by promoting port-led industries by implementing Tuticorin-SPEEDZ, an initiative providing 2,000 acres of land for establishing such industries, ease of doing business like direct port entry and direct port delivery of containers, infrastructure development by conversion of the ninth berth as container terminal, mechanisation of north cargo berth (NCB-3) and widening of port’s entrance channel, and usage of information technology by facilitating 100 per cent faceless, online EXIM documents, assessment of charges, issue of licenses and payment gateway. The port has also set up a business development council. The chairman added that considering the increase in handling of windmill blades, the port has proposed to extend all support, including allocation of additional land.