Cargo volumes decline 14.64 per cent to 49 mt at 12 major ports in June

Cargo volumes handled at India’s dozen state-owned ports fell 14.64 per cent in June to 49.053 million tonnes (mt) from 57.466 mt last year.

Except for Mormugao Port Trust and V O Chidambaranar Port Trust, all the other port trusts reported a drop in volumes in June, compared to the same period last year.

The 12 ports handled a combined 6,40,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in June from 8,38,000 TEUs in June 2019, according to the Shipping Ministry.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s biggest container port, handled 2,89,292 TEUs from 4,10,000 TEUs in June last year. Overall, JNPT handled 4.071 mt, a drop of 27.64 per cent from the 5.626 mt handled in June 2019.

In rail operations, JNPT handled a record 511 rakes, overtaking the previous highest monthly handling of 499 rakes in May 2020. Also, the average rail coefficient of the first quarter of FY21 increased to 23.40 per cent, an improvement of 46 per cent, as compared to 16.04 per cent during June last year. To facilitate faster evacuation, JNPT handled 106 trains in the lockdown period to ICD Mulund as per extended gate facility, carrying 6,957 TEUS.

Cargo volumes at Chennai Port Trust dropped 30.94 per cent, the most among the 12 ports, to 2.721 mt from 3.940 mt during the same month last year.