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The country's 13 major ports handled 412 million tonnes of cargo during April- December 2010, which was 5.1 per cent more than that in the corresponding period of 2008-09. The performance marks a noticeable improvement over 3.4 per cent in the first three quarters of the previous year, but less than half of 12.5 per cent in the same period two years ago.

While three ports received less cargo, 10 other ports handled more freight on a year-on-year basis. Cargo handled at Haldia dropped 23 per cent but it was shared by all types of cargo (barring general cargo). Ennore and New Mangalore were the other two major ports which had to contend with reduced work.

Business volume at Paradip shot up 28 per cent due to a shaarp step-up in POL and iron ore consignments.

Among the other ports, cargo at Mormugao improved 18 per cent due to 20 per cent increase in iron ore consignments. Kolkata Dock handled 16 per cent more traffic due to much higher containerised cargo and general cargo. Chennai could handle 10 per cent more merchandise on the back of stepped up POL and general cargo. Cargo handling at Visakhapatnam increased by 2.3 per cent: while iron ore, thermal coal and general cargo increased, POL, fertiliser and coking coal declined during the period.

Among the shipments, POL consignments which made up for nearly one-third of port traffic increased by only 1.2 per cent with sharply reduced business at Kolkata and Haldia Docks. General cargo, which accounted for 17 per cent of business handled by major ports, was up 20 per cent. Barring the relatively minor participant Ennore Port, which handled less, all other ports benefited from the buoyancy in traffic.

Iron ore cargo (largely exportoriented) was 9 per cent higher and Mormugao, for which it means 80 per cent of business, accounted for most of the rise followed by Visakhapatnam and Paradip. Fertiliser cargo (finished and raw combined) was 12.2 per cent lower: Kandla, the largest port, handled little more traffic while Visakhapatnam, the second-largest port, handled sharply reduced fertiliser cargo. Thermal coal cargo increased by 8.1 per cent and most of the rise was in Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Mumbai and Kandla ports. Coking coal cargo declined by 10.8 per cent due to reduced volume at Haldia, Paradip and Visakhapatnam ports.

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