(a) the volume of Cargo traffic projected during the Ninth Plan at the various ports;
(b) the details of the achievements made during the said period;
(c) whether certain deficiencies were noticed; and
(d) if so, the details and the reasons therefor and the manner in which the Government tackled those deficiencies?
MINISTER OF SHIPPING (SHRI SHATRUGHAN SINHA)
(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 130 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH DECEMBER, 2003 ASKED BY SHRI G.M. BANATWALLA REGARDING CARGO TRAFFIC.
(a) The volume of cargo traffic projected during the terminal year (2001-02) of the Ninth Plan for the ports was 423.94 million tonnes.
(b) Significant achievements during the Ninth Plan period are as follows:-
(i) A new major port at Ennore near Chennai, with capacity for handling 12 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of coal traffic was commissioned.
(ii) A major project, namely, creation of mechanised coal handling facilities for handling thermal coal with capacity of 20 MTPA was completed in Paradip Port.
(iii) Aggregate traffic handled in ports increased from 254.09 million tonnes in the terminal year of Eighth Plan (1996-97) to 382.72 million tonnes in the terminal year of the Ninth Plan (2001-02).
(iv) Since 2000-2001, capacity in major ports (291.45 MTPA) has been exceeding traffic handled (281.11 million tonnes). As a result, capacity in major ports is more than the traffic handled at these ports. This trend is expected to be maintained.
(v) Principal indicators of port efficiency in major ports, namely, average turn around time, average pre-berthing time and average output per ship berthday showed steady improvement.
(c) and (d) Due to lack of adequate draft in Indian Ports, at present, Indian cargo is predominantly transhipped through the hub ports in neighbouring countries with the result that the shipping costs for Indian cargo is high. Keeping this in view, it has been decided to develop a hub port each on the East and West Coasts of the country, at Chennai and Jawaharlal Nehru Ports respectively. Further, it has been decided to develop an International Container Transhipment Terminal at Vallarpadam, Cochin.
Productivity levels in major ports are not comparable to international standards. Efforts are being made on a continuing basis to improve the productivity levels.