Crude diversion will not affect Kolkata Port viability: Chairman

Kolkata: Dr A.K. Chanda, Chairman of Kolkata Port Trust, today dispelled the fear that the flight of crude traffic from the port’s Haldia dock to Paradip port would anyway affect the viability of the dock.

“True, we’ll lose about 8-9 million tonnes of crude traffic as and when the diversion takes place following commissioning of the Paradip-Haldia crude pipeline but we’ve initiated measures to more than compensate the loss in due course,” Dr Chanda said while addressing members of the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce here on Friday.

Crude Traffic

Earlier, Mr Atul Churiwal, President of the chamber, in his welcome address, expressed concern over the probable consequences of the diversion of crude traffic for the port.

The measures initiated, Dr Chanda explained, included both creation of additional capacity and improvement of productivity of the existing facilities through proper mechanisation of operation like the deployment of mobile harbour cranes and other equipment. “The Haldia dock’s capacity is likely to rise to 63 million tonnes (mt) within the next few years from the present 43 mt or so,” he said.

The berth number two was commissioned recently and another, number 13, would be commissioned in October and there were plans to construct two more jetties on the river front outside the present impounded dock. “We’re mulling undertaking a study to examine the feasibility of having the second arm of the dock,” he said.

Bulk Traffic

The setting up of steel plants by the Jindals and others in the hinterland, the KoPT Chairman pointed out, held out big promise for Haldia dock. An estimated additional traffic of 14 mt would be generated through the steel plants both by way of imports and exports. “In fact, within the next few years, the character of Haldia dock will change to truly a dry bulk port,” he said though the liquid bulk traffic would not disappear altogether despite the commissioning of the Paradip-Haldia crude pipeline.

Haldia would continue to handle limited quantities of crude traffic, petroleum products as well as chemicals whose volume would rise with the commissioning of the chemical hub currently being planned by the West Bengal Government. “Since the rail-borne traffic would rise to more than 30 mt from the present 16 mt, we’ve initiated dialogue with Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd to expedite the work on the doubling of the rail line to Haldia,” he added.