Total volume of containers handled by state-owned major ports in India surged 10 percent in the first five months of fiscal 2010-11 ending Aug. 31, the Indian Ports Association said Wednesday.
Container traffic totaled 3 million 20-foot equivalent units, up from 2.8 million TEUs in the same period last year.
While almost all major ports boosted their throughput numbers on a year-on-year basis, the biggest gainer was the Port of Chennai. The southeastern hub handled 630,000 TEUs compared with 480,000 TEUs, an increase of about 32 percent over fiscal 2009-10.
The latest IPA data indicates the operational disruptions, following the MSC Chitra-Khalijia-3 collision in the Mumbai harbor Aug. 7, adversely impacted traffic growth at the Port of Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva), the country's largest box gateway, where throughput was flat with the year-ago period at 1.7 million TEUs.
The smaller container gateways of Kolkata, Tuticorin and Cochin reported modest gains in container movements during the five-month period. Kolkata's throughput rose to 216,000 TEUs from 204,000 TEUs. Tuticorin moved 189,000 TEUs, up from 182,000 TEUs, while at Cochin volume increased to 144,000 TEUs from 129,000 TEUs.
According to the IPA, overall tonnage at major ports for April through August was up 1 percent, from 225.5 million tons to 227 million tons, with Kandla emerging as the top cargo handler with throughput of 33.4 million tons.
In other maritime news, the Shipping Ministry said the country's shipping tonnage reached an "all-time high" with 1,029 vessels and 10.1 million gross registered tons as of Sept. 1. "Of these, 693 ships of about 1 million GRT are engaged in coastal trade and the remaining 336 vessels are plying on international trade routes," it said.
Container traffic totaled 3 million 20-foot equivalent units, up from 2.8 million TEUs in the same period last year.
While almost all major ports boosted their throughput numbers on a year-on-year basis, the biggest gainer was the Port of Chennai. The southeastern hub handled 630,000 TEUs compared with 480,000 TEUs, an increase of about 32 percent over fiscal 2009-10.
The latest IPA data indicates the operational disruptions, following the MSC Chitra-Khalijia-3 collision in the Mumbai harbor Aug. 7, adversely impacted traffic growth at the Port of Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva), the country's largest box gateway, where throughput was flat with the year-ago period at 1.7 million TEUs.
The smaller container gateways of Kolkata, Tuticorin and Cochin reported modest gains in container movements during the five-month period. Kolkata's throughput rose to 216,000 TEUs from 204,000 TEUs. Tuticorin moved 189,000 TEUs, up from 182,000 TEUs, while at Cochin volume increased to 144,000 TEUs from 129,000 TEUs.
According to the IPA, overall tonnage at major ports for April through August was up 1 percent, from 225.5 million tons to 227 million tons, with Kandla emerging as the top cargo handler with throughput of 33.4 million tons.
In other maritime news, the Shipping Ministry said the country's shipping tonnage reached an "all-time high" with 1,029 vessels and 10.1 million gross registered tons as of Sept. 1. "Of these, 693 ships of about 1 million GRT are engaged in coastal trade and the remaining 336 vessels are plying on international trade routes," it said.