Kolkata: Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), handled 40.5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo between April and Oct, registering a 5.1% increase over the 38.5 MMT handled during the corresponding period last year.Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) handled 29.7 MMT, recording a 5.3% increase from 28.2 MMT, while Kolkata Dock System (KDS) handled 10.78 MMT, up 4.6% from 10.3 MMT.SMPK also registered a 7.9% growth in container traffic, handling 5,87,399 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) during the seven-month period against 5,43,982 TEUs in the corresponding period last year.SMPK chairman Rathendra Raman attributed the growth to the induction of additional cranes for vessel operations by the port and private berth operators. The deployment of a floating crane for container handling at Diamond Harbour anchorage has also helped attract additional cargo and reduce dead freight on vessels, he said.Meanwhile, HDC received quicklime, a key raw material for the steel industry, for the first time on Nov 1. The vessel MV Asian Honor arrived from Dibba in the UAE carrying 8,133 tonnes of quicklime and hydrated lime in bags.
