Apr.-Dec. cargo traffic at ports rise 3.64%

Kandla handled 81.12 mt, the most

Cargo calling: The country’s 12 major ports handled 499.41 million tonnes in the nine-month period.

The country’s 12 major ports recorded a 3.64% growth in cargo traffic during April-December 2017 at 499.41 million tonnes (mt), as per official data.

Eight major ports — Kolkata (including Haldia), Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Cochin, New Mangalore, JNPT and Kandla — registered positive growth in traffic during the period.

“The major ports in India have recorded a growth of 3.64% and together handled 499.41 million tonnes of cargo during the period April to December, 2017 as against 481.87 million tonnes handled during the corresponding period of previous year,” the Ministry of Shipping said. The highest growth was registered by Cochin Port (17.27%), followed by Paradip (14.59%), Kolkata (12.45%), New Mangalore (6.60%) and JNPT (5.94%).

Cochin Port growth was mainly due to increase in traffic of petroleum, oil and lubricants (24.10%) and containers (10.79%), the ministry said.

In Kolkata Port, overall growth was 12.45%.

Kandla Port

During April to December 2017, Kandla Port handled the highest volume of traffic at 81.12 mt, followed by Paradip (74.40 mt), JNPT (48.89 mt), Mumbai (47.53 mt), and Visakhapatnam (46.56 mt). Together, these five ports handled around 60% of the major port traffic.

India has 12 major ports— Kandla, Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore, V. O. Chidambaranar , Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia)— which handle approximately 61% of the country’s total cargo traffic.