Cargo Traffic At Major Ports Rises 3.75% In May

Cargo traffic across 12 major ports in the country increased by 3.75% year-on-year in May to 72.04 million tones from 69.43 MT handled in the corresponding month of 2023 with nine such ports showing positive growth.

Visakhapatnam Port registered the maximum cargo growth in cargo handling at 22.05%t during the reporting month followed by Chennai Port with 9.10%, Cochin Port with 7.78% and Mumbai Port with 5.89%, according to data released by the major ports' apex body, Indian Ports Association.

The 12 major ports are Deendayal (Kandla), Mumbai, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore (Kamarajar), Tuticorin (V O Chidambaranar), Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia) and Jawaharlal Nehru Port.

According to the IPA, VO Chidambaranar Port saw a 5.59% increase in its cargo handling during the previous month while Paradip Port 4.27%, Deendayal Port with 3.49%, New Mangalore Port with 1.87% and JNPA with 1.78%.

The ports, which saw a decline in cargo handling during May this year include SMP, Kolkata Port with 15.70 drop followed by Kamarajar Port and Mormugao Port, which witnessed 3.58% and 10.55 decline, as per the IPA.

At Kolkata's Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, the overall traffic decreased by 15.70% during the previous month, it said, adding Kolkata Dock System traffic declined by 7.71% and at Haldia Dock Complex by 18.32%.

IPA attributed the fall in cargo handling traffic at KDS to reduction in coking and other coal by -71.75% and finished fertilizers by 43.53%, among others.

The major ports' operators body also said that during May 2024, Deendayal Port handled the highest traffic volume at 12.71 MT and commanded a 17.64% share of the total cargo handled across 12 ports.

This was followed by Paradip Port with 12.64 MT and 17.55% share, Visakhapatnam Port at 8.57 MT with 11.90% share, JNPA at 7.45 MT with 10.34% share and Mumbai Port at 5.79 MT with 8.04% share, according to the IPA.