NMP adjudged cleanest major port in India for second year in succession

Mangaluru: The ministry of shipping has adjudged New Mangalore Port (NMP) as the cleanest port among all major ports in India for the second year in succession. The port which incidentally bagged the award for 2017 at a gala ceremony held in New Delhi on Monday, received the news of its selection for the 2018 award later in the day. The ministry instituted the award in 2016 where NMP finished sixth behind that year’s winner Haldia Dock Complex.
M T Krishna Babu, chairman, NMP, told reporters on Tuesday that the Swachhata Survekshan award is testimony to efforts taken by the port to ensure all-round cleanliness on its premises. Rated on a 1,000 point scale, NMP with a score of 851.75 points, left Visakhapatnam Port Trust, of which he incidentally is also the chairman, a distant second with 751.44 points. Krishna Babu is holding additional charge of Karnataka’s only major port.

Judged by Quality Council of India (QCI), an independent external auditing agency, the award is adjudged on basis of cleanliness, environmental parameters, solid and liquid waste disposal and green energy among other factors, Babu said. “The award is also a reaffirmation of the fact that the port is running on green principles on a sustainable basis,” Babu said, adding the port will continue its efforts to run a green port with more initiatives in the future.

On a professional level, the award is a hat-trick of sorts for Babu who was holding concurrent charge of Haldia Dock Complex with Visakhapatnam Port, when the ministry initiated this award in 2016. Babu said for NMP to rise from the 6th position in 2016 to win the award the next year and retain it in 2018, has only raised the bar for the port. Haldia with 701.60 points finished third in the Swachh Ports ranking and Chennai was last with a score of 499.61 points.