The Hindu Business Line : Major ports notch up 10 pc growth in Q1

THE 13 major ports in the country have notched up a 10.02 per cent growth in traffic handling during the first quarter of the current fiscal, spurred ironically by the worst monsoon in a decade which helped them load iron ore and coal even during the traditional rainy months of June and July.

Iron ore and coal account for a major chunk of the traffic handled at the major ports.

The total traffic handled by the ports during April to July was 1,00,631 tonnes as against the target of 96,215 tonnes. During the corresponding period last year, it was 91,469 tonnes.

Explaining the cargo-handling trend at the major ports during this period, a Shipping Ministry official said traffic usually rose in April and May and fell during the rainy months of June and July.

"But this year has been an exception and the poor monsoon was a blessing in disguise'', the official said.

With rains staying away, the major ports were able to load more iron ore and coal for exports, which would not have been possible otherwise.

"Normally, iron ore and coal handling suffers in June and July since they are in open fields which gets slushy during rains, making loading extremely difficult'', the official remarked.

During the first quarter, the Kolkata Dock Complex handled 1,217 tonnes, Haldia Dock Complex 8,740 tonnes, Paradip 7,392 tonnes, Visakhapatnam 15,441 tonnes, Ennore 2,400 tonnes, Chennai 11,272 tonnes, Tuticorin 4,546 tonnes, Kochi 4,330 tonnes, New Mangalore 5,900 tonnes, Mormugao 6,346 tonnes, Mumbai 7,881 tonnes, JNPT 8,342 tonnes and Kandla 12,408 tonnes.

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