The Paradip Port Trust (PPT) handled 5.74 million tonnes (MT) of cargo during the month of May this year compared to 4.04 MT handled in the corresponding month of the previous year, registering an increase of 41.96 per cent. In the month under review, 1.97 MT of cargoes was exported and 3.77 MT imported.
The total cargo handled during the first two months of the current financial year 2013-14 stands at 11.55 MT compared to 8.11 MT during the corresponding period of the previous year, which is an increase of 42.35 per cent and an increase of 6.56 per cent over the target fixed for the period.
During this period, the thermal coal traffic exhibited a growth of 47.33 per cent. Similarly, the POl Traffic increased by 22.26 per cent, iron ore traffic registered a growth of 329.24 per cent, fertiliser raw materials 49.30 per cent and coking coal handling grew by 23.87 per cent. The Paradip Port achieved second highest position in terms of cargo handled and also in terms of the percentage of growth in traffic among all the Major Ports till the end of May 2013.
The average turnaround time for the month and up to the month improved by 13 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively, over the corresponding period of previous year and 7 per cent over the target fixed for the period. A record quantity of 40,613 MT of pyroxenite was imported during the month of May, surpassing the previous record of 36,500 MT imported during January 2012.