The top 12 major ports in India recorded 2.41 percent growth in cargo handling at 116.26 million tonne (MT) in the first two months of the current fiscal.

For the period from April-May 2018, nine ports (Kolkata [including Haldia], Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Kamarajar, Chennai, Cochin, New Mangalore, JNPT and Deendayalhave) registered positive growth in traffic.

The highest growth was registered by Kamarajar Port (11.69 percent), followed by Kolkata [including Haldia] (11.33 percent), Cochin (8.7 percent), Paradip (7.61 percent) and New Mangalore (6.66 percent).

Kamarajar Port growth was mainly due to increase in other miscellaneous cargo by 28.16 percent, other liquids by 16.67 percent, thermal and steam coal by 6.64 percent and POL by 5.99 percent.

In Kolkata Port, overall growth was 11.33 percent. Kolkata Dock System (KDS) registered traffic growth of 2 percent. Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) registered positive growth of 15.64 percent which is highest among all the major ports.

During the period Aprilto May 2018, Deendayal (Kandla) Port handled the highest volume of traffic i.e. 19.66 million metric tons (16.91 percent share), followed by Paradip with 17.43 million metric tons (14.99 percent share), JNPT with 11.7 million metric tonnes (10.07 percent share), Visakhapatnam with 10.6 million metric tons (9.12 percent share) and Mumbai with 10.16 million metric tons (8.74 percent share). Together, these five ports handled around 60 percent of major port traffic.