Cargo traffic up 3.36%: Official

Buoyed by pick up in demand, India´s 12 major ports saw cargo traffic increase by 3.36 per cent to 499.23 mt in the first 10 months of the current fiscal. These top ports handled 483.01 mt cargo during April-Jan of the last fiscal. ´Our 12 ports recorded higher traffic volumes during April-Jan at 499.23 mt which was higher than last year.
Volume growth was possible due to increased demand from various sectors,´ a Shipping Ministry official told PTI. Kandla port handled the highest traffic volume at 82.91 mt in April-Jan current fiscal. Paradip Port was next with 61.67 mt; JNPT at 53.54 mt; Mumbai Port at 51.40 mt and Visakhapatnam at 47.11 mt, the official said. Chennai port handled 41.52 mt while Kolkata Port, including Haldia, handled 41.14 mt. Commodity-wise, coal, fertiliser, etc. witnessed the highest growth, the official added. Also in the last three quarters of 2015-16, cargo traffic handled at major ports recorded growth. April-June saw a growth of 4.3 per cent while July-Sept saw a growth of 3.8 per cent. Oct-Dec growth was 1.4 per cent.