Cargo volume at 12 major ports marginally up at 643 MT in Apr-Feb

The country's 12 major ports recorded a marginal 1.42 per cent growth in cargo volumes at 642.95 million tonne (MT) during April-February of the just-concluded fiscal, according to Indian Ports Association.

The ports had handled 633.93 MT of cargo in the same period of 2018-19.

India has 12 major ports -- Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), V O Chidambaranar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).

While the handling of iron ore saw 43.11 per cent jump to 49.98 MT during the period, thermal coal shipments declined 14 per cent to 82.47 MT, the IPA data showed.

The 12 ports had handled 34.92 MT of iron ore and 95.97 MT of coal during April-February period of 2018-19.

Handling of coking and other coal rose 2.49 per cent to 51.87 MT during the eleven months as compared to 50.61 MT in the year-ago period.

Finished fertiliser volumes jumped 19.49 per cent but raw fertiliser dipped 0.68 per cent.

Containers recorded a growth of 2.45 per cent in terms of TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).

The volume of seaborne cargo is essentially in the nature of derived demand and is mainly shaped by the levels and changes in both global and domestic activity.

These major ports handle about 60 per cent of the country's total cargo traffic.