Kandla Port continues to handle highest volume of traffic, major ports register 3.24 pc growth

The major ports in the country have recorded a growth of 3.24 per cent and together handled 326.4 million tonnes (MT) of cargo during the period April to September, 2017 as against 316.1 MT handled during the corresponding period of previous year.

Kandla Port, which was renamed as Deendayal Upadhyay Port on the BJP ideologue 's birth anniversary on September 25, continues to handle the highest volume of traffic while the highest growth has been registered by Cochin Port.

According to an official statement, seven Ports (Kolkata, Paradip, Chennai, Cochin, New Mangalore, Mumbai and JNPT) registered positive growth in traffic during the period April to September 2017.

The highest growth was registered by Cochin Port (19.62 per cent), followed by Kolkata [including Haldia], New Mangalore, Paradip with growth of about 12 per cent.

Cochin Port growth was mainly due to increase in traffic of Port of Loading (POL) (27.8 per cent) and containers (10.3 per cent).

In Kolkata Port, overall growth was positive - 11.95 per cent. Kolkata Dock System (KDS) registered traffic growth of 0.72 per cent. Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) registered positive growth of 17.74 per cent.

During the period April to September 2017, Kandla Port handled the highest volume of traffic - 53.29 MT (16.33 per cent share), followed by Paradip with 47.61 MT (14.59 per cent share), JNPT with 32.69 MT (10.02 per cent share), Mumbai with 31.23 MT (9.57 per cent share) and Visakhapatnam with 30.15 MT (9.24 per cent share). Together, these five ports handled around 60 per cent of major port traffic.

Commodity-wise percentage share of POL was maximum (34.01 per cent), followed by container (20.22 per cent), thermal and steam coal (12.66 per cent), miscellaneous cargo (12.17 per cent), cooking and other coal (7.6 per cent), iron ore and pellets (6.65 per cent), other liquid (4.35 per cent) and finished fertilizer (1.24 per cent).

Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "Growing ports are becoming catalysts for shaping Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a 'New India'. The government is committed towards inclusive development to generate continuous growth and prosperity. Timely delivery of projects will help give the much needed boost to economy."

Gadkari recently inaugurated various projects across India. These include Dry Port at Wardha and infra projects in Andaman and Nicobar islands under the Sagarmala Programme that aims to save logistic costs and pave the way for port-led-development.

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