Cargo handled at India’s dozen State-owned major ports rose 14.59 per cent during the April-October period to 406.983 million tonnes (mt) from 355.160 mt a year ago.

In containers, the 12 major ports handled a combined 6.421 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), 29.95 per cent more than the 4.941 million TEUs handled during April-September of FY21.

Of this, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), India’s busiest State-run container gateway, handled 3.179 million TEUs from 2.348 million TEUs during the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Chennai Port Authority handled 9,41,000 TEUs between April and October this year from 6,92,000 TEUs in the same period last year.

Kamarajar Port handled 2,73,000 TEUs from 69,000 TEUs last year.

VO Chidambaranar Port Authority handled 4,63,000 TEUs from 4,11,000 TEUs a year ago, while Cochin Port Authority handled 4,24,000 TEUs from 3,46,000 TEUs during the same period last year.

Growth in shipments

Thermal and steam coal shipments through the dozen ports rose 36.48 per cent to 56.251 mt during the seven months of FY22 from 41.216 mt a year earlier, according to the ministry.

Coking coal and other coal cargo grew by 7.57 per cent to 28.222 mt from 26.235 mt a year earlier.

POL cargo (crude, petroleum products, LPG and LNG) rose 10.83 per cent between April and October to 123.002 mt from 110.980 mt last year.

Shipments of iron ore including pellets declined 19.87 per cent to 30.762 mt from 38.388 mt a year earlier.

Finished fertiliser shipments plunged 33.14 per cent to 4.191 mt from 6.268 mt a year ago.

Deendayal Port Authority, India’s biggest State-owned port by volumes, handled 73.998 mt of cargo between April and October from 62.926 mt last year, posting a growth of 17.60 per cent.

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