India: Cargo handled at Major ports in April up by 9%

 

India’s 12 major ports handled 47 million tonne cargo, which was up by 9 per cent year-on-year, in April – the first month of the current financial year.

Tuticorin Port (V.O. Chidambaranar) recorded highest traffoc growth of 36.3 per cent last month followed by Mumbai port which achieved 31 per cent increase and Murmugao 23.2 per cent in comparison to the April month last year according to the Indian Port Association.

Kanlda port handled over 6.9 MT cargo last month, the highest among the ports, with a share of 14.7 per cent, followed by Paradip port which handled over 6.4 MT.

“In all, over 47 MT (cargo) was handled last month by various major ports of the country,” the release said.

Among commodities, there was an increase of 25 per cent in handling of fertilisers last month, compared to April 2013. Iron ore handling has shown a sharp increase of 16.8 per cent against negative growth of 62.3 per cent in the previous year, the release said.

Total cargo traffic at India’s major ports during 2013-14 stood at 555.50 MT, an increase by 1.8 per cent, compared with 545.83 MT handled in 2012-13.

The 12 major ports – Kandla, Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Managlore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore, V O Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia) – handle 61 per cent of the country’s total cargo traffic.

IPA