During the first half of the current fiscal year, Paradip Port in Odisha has established itself as the top-performing state-owned port in cargo handling. It surpassed the Deendayal Port Authority in Kandla, Gujarat, which is responsible for a public port.
Despite facing challenges resulting from a train accident in Balasore in June that affected their railcar supply, Paradip Port successfully managed 69.147 million tonnes (MT) of cargo from April to September. This marks an impressive 8.5 percent increase compared to the 63.729 MT handled during the same period the previous year.
In contrast, Deendayal Port Authority experienced an 8.35 percent decline in cargo handling during the first half of the current fiscal year, with volumes decreasing from 70.894 MT to 64.971 MT, as reported by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
Paradip Port primarily relies on rail transportation, and the Balasore incident resulted in a 38 percent reduction in railcar supply. Despite these challenges, the port achieved substantial growth. During the first six months, iron ore, including pellets, transported through the 12 major ports saw a substantial increase of 34.12 percent, while shipments of thermal and steam coal declined by 6.36 percent.
The 12 major ports collectively handled 6.064 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) during the first half, with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority playing a significant role, handling over half of the total containers managed by the 12 ports.
