The Hindu Business Line : Cargo handling at major ports up 9.5%

Kolkata April 3 In 2006-07, the 12 major ports handled a total of 463.84 million tonnes (mt) of traffic, up by an estimated 9.51 per cent over 423.56 mt handled in 2005-06, according to tentative figures released by the Indian Ports Association.

However, the target for the year was set at 465.7 mt. Thus there has been a marginal shortfall of 0.4 per cent from the target.

Visakhapatnam port continued to be the largest cargo-handling port for the seventh year in succession with a total traffic throughput of 56.38 mt, followed by Kolkata port (including Haldia), 55.05 mt and Chennai 53.4 mt.

Growth terms

However, in terms of growth, Mumbai port topped the list after having clocked 18.5 per cent growth at 52.36 mt (44.19 mt in 2005-06), followed by Jawaharlal Nehru port 18.45 per cent at 44.81 mt (37.83 mt), Ennore 16.86 per cent at 10.71 mt (9.17 mt) and Paradip 16.33 per cent at 38.51 mt (33.10 mt).

Kolkata Dock System (excluding Haldia) also posted 16.56 per cent growth at 12.59 mt (10.80 mt). But traffic throughput at Haldia remained virtually stagnant at 42.45 mt (42.33 mt), or a growth of 0.28 per cent. Together with Haldia, Kolkata port thus posted a meagre growth of 3.59 per cent.

Other ports that posted double digit growth during the year are Kandla, 15.41 per cent at 52.98 mt (45.90 mt), followed by Chennai 13.05 per cent at 53.41 mt (47.24 mt) and Kochi 10.28 per cent 15.31 mt (13.88 mt).

New Mangalore

Except New Mangalore port, all other ports posted positive growth.

New Mangalore port posted a negative growth of 6.99 per cent at 32.04 mt (34.45 mt).

Visakhapatnam port, the largest cargo-handling port, posted the lowest growth of 1.05 per cent, followed by Tuticorin 5.03 per cent at 18 mt (17.13 mt) and Mormugao 8.06 per cent at 34.24 mt (31.68 mt).

Several ports, some of them despite having posted impressive growth in traffic throughput, could not achieve the targets set for them.

These include Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Tuticorin, Kochi, New Mangalore and Mormugao.