Phailin, rains cut monthly cargo traffic at Paradip by 9% in Oct

Cargo traffic at Paradip port dropped by 9.1 per cent in October to 4.62 million tonne, compared with 5.08 million tonne recorded in September, as cyclone Phailin and heavy rains affected the port operation.

During the month, only 1.8 million tonne cargo could be exported, lower than 2.34 million tonne shipped out in the previous month. Import cargo however, witnessed a rise at 2.8 million tonne, compared with 2.74 million tonne in September.

Cumulatively, the port handled 38.73 million tonne cargo between April and October, higher than 30.58 million tonne in the year ago period.

"This is an increase of 26.68 per cent on year on year basis and is also 4.86 per cent higher over the target fixed for the period," the port said in a release.
 

The growth in the traffic of various types of cargo between April and October were - thermal coal (33.93 per cent), POL (88 per cent), iron ore (159.56 per cent), coking coal (24.39 per cent) and other cargo traffic (24.42 per cent) compared with the same period of previous year.

Paradip Port retained the second highest position in terms of cargo handled and also in terms of percentage of growth in traffic among all the major ports till the end of October 2013.

In other parameters, the average turnaround time for the month improved by 16 per cent while the average berth-day output for the month improved by 28 per cent.

Rail borne traffic witnessed a major decline during the month at 4 per cent growth, compared with 42 per cent achieved during September. Total vessels entering and exiting the port between April and October were 832 and 831 respectively, compared with 743 vessels and 742 vessels respectively in the previous comparable period, said the release.