NMPT gets first place among 13 ports for cleanliness
‘The port registers Rs 190.55 crore net profit in 2017-18’
Mangaluru, July 31: Nava Mangaluru Port Trust (NMPT) president MT Krishna Babu said that after paying Rs 124.81 crore tax, the port has recorded a net profit of Rs 190.55 crore during 2017-18 financial year.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Krishna Babu said that during 2017-18, the port had handled 42.06 million metric tons goods, which is 5.28 per cent more compared to 2016-17.
First place in cleanliness
The NMPT has got the first place among 13 ports in the country under the swachh Bharat campaign for cleanliness. From the solar power generation units adopted in the NMPT, total 840 kv power was being generated due to which, more than 95 per cent of the total power demand of the port was being supplied from solar energy. This project was considered under the Swachh Bharat campaign, he said.
During 2017-18, total 24,258 people have visited through 22 ships and in 2016-17, total 30,246 had visited through 28 ships. Compared to this year, last year had more visitors and ships. The NMPT has handled 23.719 lakh tons iron ore, 23.999 lakh tons processed iron ore, 41.717 lakh tone coal, 17.434 lakh tons through containers and 22.09 lakh ton LPG. Compared to last year, this year the quantity of coal being supplied from Udupi Power Plant and crude oil to MRPL has come down. Comprehensively, progress was achieved in goods transport, he said.
Sand from Malaysia
As per the decision to import sand from Malaysia in order to curb sand mining in the district, total 1.50 lakh ton sand was imported from Malaysia during 2017-18, he said.
Two mechanized berths to be completed in 2019
The construction of two mechanized berths would be completed in 2019. Currently, the berth number 16 was being developed in private-public partnership, he said.
Steps to cut down expenses
The NMPT has taken steps to cut down the goods transportation and port expenses. With the cutting of additional payment to workers other than their salaries, the burden on the customers of the port would come down. Steps would be taken to give only salary to the workers of the port, he said.
Project for connecting road, railway line
A project report was prepared to develop a connecting road and a railway line to transport the goods inside the port. Under this programme, existing facilities would be upgraded. In 2017-18, the NMPT has spent Rs 2,60,66,000 for CSR funds to invest for community and public works, Krishna Babu said.
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Indian mobile hospital treats over 2,200 cyclone-hit people as New Delhi ramps up relief efforts in
Colombo (PTI): A mobile hospital set up by India in Sri Lanka has provided medical care to over 2,200 people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as New Delhi ramped up its assistance to the flood-ravaged island nation with engineering support and delivery of fresh relief consignments, the Indian mission here said on Sunday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by the cyclone, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity.
At least 627 people have been killed and 190 remain missing as of Sunday noon due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
Sharing a social media post by the Ministry of External Affairs on its X handle, the Indian High Commission said a field hospital set up by India in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy has provided medical care to more than 2,200 people affected by the cyclone since December 5.
The hospital has also performed 67 minor procedures and three surgeries, it said. The field hospital was airlifted to Sri Lanka by an IAF C-17 aircraft along with a 78-member Indian medical team on Tuesday.
In another post, the mission said Indian Army engineers, working with Sri Lanka Army Engineers and the Road Development Authority, in Kilinochchi have begun removing a damaged bridge on the Paranthan–Karachchi–Mullaitivu (A35) road, a key route disrupted by the cyclone.
"This joint effort marks another step toward restoring vital connectivity for affected communities," it said.
India has additionally sent nearly 1,000 tonnes of food items and clothing contributed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Of these, about 300 tonnes reached Colombo on Sunday morning aboard three Indian Naval ships.
High Commissioner Santosh Jha handed over the supplies to Sri Lankan Minister for Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.
India, on November 28, launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative, to aid Sri Lanka in its recovery from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Since the launch of the operation, India has provided about 58 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential cloths, water purification kits and about 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment, the Indian mission said in a press release on Sunday.
Another 60 tonnes of equipment, including generators, inflatable rescue boats, Outboard Motors, and excavators, have also been brought to Sri Lanka, it said, adding that 185 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units were airlifted to restore critical connectivity along with 44 engineers.
Two columns of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, assisted with immediate rescue and relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
Besides the field hospital in Mahiyanganaya, medical centres have also been set up in the badly hit Ja-Ela region and in Negombo. INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and INS Sukanya provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka.
Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift, MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material, the release said.
At the request of the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre, a virtual meeting was organised between DMC and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s National Remote Sensing Centre on Saturday.
Since the onset of the disaster, ISRO has been providing maps to assist DMC in its rescue efforts, the release said.
