Iron ore handling surges at major ports

Handling of iron ore has rebounded at major ports following the resumption of mining in Goa, Karnataka and Odisha after a long gap. In the first half of the current financial year ended September 2016, iron ore handling more than doubled at major ports to 17.50 million tonnes (MT) when compared with 7.25 MT in the same period last year. The volume will, however, be nowhere near the peak handling of nearly 100 MT in 2009-10. Following the ban on issue of new licences to mines and a slump in global demand, the number kept dropping in subsequent years to an all-time low of 10 MT in 2015-16. However, in the first half of the current year, the volume increased substantially, with Visakhapatnam port handling the highest volume among Major Ports with a throughput of 52.18 lakh tonnes of iron ore, according to the Indian Ports Association.