Ports clock 12.5% growth

India's port sector has recorded 12.50 per cent growth in throughput from April to December 2007 of the current fiscal, as compared with that in the corresponding period during the previous fiscal.

The 12 major ports in India handled a combined throughput of 378.7 million tonnes during the last nine months, as against 336.7 million tonnes during the last fiscal.

Container traffic increased to 665.1 million tonnes from April to December 2007 as against 532.9 million tonnes during the last fiscal.

Chennai and Tuticorin ports together handled 576.9 million tonnes during the nine months as against 531.3 million tonnes during the previous fiscal. Chennai port handled 423.1 million tonnes, while Tuticorin port handled 153.7 million tonnes as against 397.2 million tonnes and 134 million tonnes, respectively, during the earlier fiscal.

According to official figures, Visakhapatnam (Vizag) port continued to be India's premier port in terms of throughput, handling 478.3 million tonnes of cargo during April to December 2007 as against 405.5 million tonnes during the previous fiscal. Kandla and Mumbai ports handled 477.3 million tonnes and 431.6 million tonnes, respectively.

However, Kandla recorded the highest growth rate of 24.45 per cent. Kandla was followed by Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) with 23.40 per cent increase, Vizag port with 17.93 per cent growth and Tuticorin with 14.70 per cent rise to 153.7 million tonnes.

Only Mormugao port recorded a decline in the amount of cargo handled. The port handled 231.5 million tonnes during the April-December 2007 period, as against 231.8 million tonnes in the corresponding period last fiscal, showing a 0.11 per cent fall.

All type of cargoes registered growth upswings, led by fertiliser and fertiliser raw materials.

The major ports handled 823.9 million tonnes of fertiliser and 475.3 million tonnes of fertiliser raw materials, as against 627.2 million tonnes of fertiliser and 450.7 million tonnes of fertiliser raw material during the corresponding period last fiscal.

In terms of throughput, palm oil lubricant traffic increased 10.44 per cent to 123.9 million tonnes from 112.2 million tonnes, followed by iron ore which registered an increase of 12.10 per cent to 640.1 million tonnes from 571 million tonnes.