Ports handle 463 million tonnes cargo in April-November.

Cargo volume handled by top 12 Indian ports was marginally up by 0.34% at 463.07 million tonnes (mt) during April-November, according to the Indian Ports Association (IPA), against 461.48 mt in the corresponding period of the last fiscal.

The ports are Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), VO Chidambaranar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).

While iron ore saw a 30.24% jump to 33.95 mt handled, thermal coal shipments declined by 17.82% to 58.17 mt, data showed. The 12 ports had handled 26.07 mt of iron ore and 70.79 mt of coal during April-November of the previous fiscal. Handling of coking and other coal rose by 1.95% to 37.17 mt during the eight months as compared with 36.45 mt of coking coal handled in the corresponding period last fiscal. Finished fertiliser volumes jumped 24.08% but raw fertiliser volumes declined by 3.12%.

Containers recorded a growth of 3.36% in terms of TEUs (20-foot equivalent units). According to the figures, Deendayal port handled the highest traffic volume at 82.20 million tonne.

ET