Kolkata: In the first quarter of the current fiscal (April to June 2007-08), the major ports handled a total of 123.09 million tonnes (mt) compared with 107.71 mt in the corresponding period of the previous year, thus posting 14.28 per cent growth.

Kandla port, with a traffic throughput of 15.51 mt (11.19 mt) posted highest growth of 38.58 per cent, In terms of volume also, Kandla emerged as the highest cargo handling port, followed by Visakhapatnam port with 15.2 mt (12.91 mt). At 17.73 per cent, Visakhapatnam however occupied a much lower position in terms of growth.

“We have contributed 12 per cent of national traffic,” according to Kandla port sources. “There has been a considerable improvement in all productivity parameters during the quarter and the number of vessels calling at the port increased to 633 (525).”

If the present trend is maintained, the sources hoped that Kandla would surpass all its previous records. It might be noted that Kandla ranked fourth in terms of traffic throughput for the past three years.

Explaining the slide from the number one position, which Visakhapatnam port has been occupying for the past several years, a spokesman for the port pointed out that cyclonic storms coupled with heavy rains and the suspension of iron ore movement along the Kirandul-Kottavalasa line for several days due to power failure (caused by blowing up of transmission towers by the Maoists in Chhattisgarh) hit the port’s traffic throughput which dropped by about 1.1 mt during the period.

At least four berths were occupied by fertiliser vessels whose rate of discharge was low. The rain also hit the iron ore loading from around 5,000 tonnes to 1,500 tonnes a day.

During the period under review, Kolkata port, comprising both Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Dock Complex, posted 9.41 per cent growth at 13.37 mt (12.22 mt). However, KDS alone posted 31.42 per cent growth at 2.31 mt (1.76 mt) and Haldia 5.7 per cent growth at 11.05 mt (10.46 mt).

In terms of volume, the third position was occupied by Mumbai port at 13.9 mt (12.71 mt), followed by Chennai 13.68 mt (12.45 mt). Mumbai posted 9.43 per cent and Chennai 9.9 per cent growth.

New Mangalore port posted 24.11 per cent growth at 8.9 mt (7.2 mt), followed by JNPT 20.16 per cent at 12.71 mt (10.58 mt) and Ennore 18.09 per cent at 2.84 mt (2.41 mt), Tuticorin port 14.28 per cent at 4.63 mt (4.05 mt) and Paradip 6.9 per cent at 9.63 mt (9.01 mt).

In the first quarter, Kochi port posted lowest growth of 0.68 per cent at 3.85 mt (3.83 mt). The only port to post negative growth of 3.76 per cent at 8.79 mt (9.13 mt) was Mormugao.