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Cochin Port Trust cuts dredging cost
PM News Bureau
An innovative scheme of draft-based dredging introduced by Cochin Port Trust fours years ago has started yielding dividend for the port trust. Expenditure on maintenance dredging has declined from Rs 39.2 crore in 1999-2000 to Rs 28.01 crore in 2004-05.
Regarding the productivity parameters, the port achieved average pre-berthing detention time of 11.0 hours, average turnaround time of 2.6 days and average output per berth day to the tune of 8,497 metric tonnes as against the previous figures of 10.4 hours, 2.5 days and 7,799 metric tonnes, respectively.
During 2004-05, the port trust turned out good results for the year as compared to the previous year. The port handled all-time high annual traffic of 140.95 lakh tonnes during the year surpassing the previous year's traffic of 135.70 lakh tonnes. Also, the port handled record container traffic of 1.85 lakh TEUs during the year.
Cochin Port is currently handling various projects such as developing an International Container Transshipment terminal, NH connectivity from Vallarpadam and Puthuvypeen and techno-feasibility report on rail connectivity to Container Terminal. The port trust is also in the process of finalising tender for stage-I capital dredging clubbed with annual dredging.
[2 May 2005]
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