“Port container handling growing”

Mr A. Subbiah, Deputy Chairman, Tuticorin Port Trust, at a press conference in Chennai on Thursday (January 29, 2009) Photo : Bijoy Ghosh To go with T. Murrali's report

Tuticorin Port Trust (TPT) has handled over two lakh TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) of containers in the current fiscal as on date, according to A. Subbiah, Chairman (in–charge), here on Thursday. The container handling performance was increasing every year.

The handling efficiency of container vessels was also an added advantage.

The port had handled about 4,39,935 TEU cargo and emerged as an important container handling port in India.

A number of container freight stations, which are located near the port, facilitated the container handling with support of the Trailer Operators' Association. With consistency in infrastructure developments at TPT, he stated that during 1999, a container terminal was established under the public private partnership mode by the Singapore Port Authority Consortium at berth VII of the Port.

For the changing requirements of the growth in container traffic, the port management had initiated measures for conversion of eighth berth into a container terminal for which the request for qualifications (RFQ) had also been sought.

On completion of the project, the total handling capacity of containers would increase to 10 lakh TEUs per annum, Mr. Subbiah said.