Major ports handle more traffic

Robust growth in finished fertilizer, thermal and coking coal; petroleum products and iron ore have helped India’s major ports register a 2.13% growth in 2008 to 2009 against 2007 to 2008. The cargo handled during the period was almost 8% lower than the cargo-handling target of 576.09 million tons set by the central government for the country’s major ports. The ports that witnessed growth in petroleum products were Kandla, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Paradip, Chennai, Mormugao, Tuticorin and Ennore. Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, New Mangalore and Mumbai, however, saw a dip in the quantum of petroleum products handled. Other growth registered by the ports, 11.8% over the previous fiscal, were due to their handling of 44.02 million tons of thermal coal in 2008 to 2009. The ports also handled 27.13 million tons of coking coal, witnessing a 7.13% growth against the previous fiscal (April 3, 2009)