BL reported that a two member Committee has been appointed by the Shipping Ministry to go into ways and means of improving the Chennai port's cargo handling operations.

The Committee's appointment comes after the Madras High Court ordered shifting of coal handling from Chennai port to Ennore port and the ban by the Karnataka State Government on iron-ore exports.

Mr GJ Rao chairman of the Paradip Port Trust and Mr PVK Mohan chairman of National Shipping Board, who are the two members gave their recommendations to the ChPT.

Mr Atulya Mishra chairman of ChPT said that the Committee wanted the port to explore the possibility of working closely with Ennore port and look at new types of cargo, such as agricultural products and heavy-duty project cargo. He said that “We have approached the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court order. We do not know what the outcome is going to be. Till then, we need to find new cargo.”


The port has been handling annually about 20 million tonnes of both coal (8 million tonnes) and iron ore (12 million tonnes).

The port could annually lose revenue of around INR250 crore, estimates an official of the port, as a consequence of the order asking the port to stop handling coal and iron which generate dust and are hence polluting from last October.

(Sourced from Hindu)