Cargo handling nosedives 20% at 12 state-run ports amid Covid lockdown

NEW DELHI: Amid the

coronavirus pandemic

, India has recorded a 20% slump in traffic of commodities at 12 state-run ports between April and June compared with the

corresponding period

of the previous year. While all 12 ports handled 141 million tonnes (MT) between April and June, they had handled 177 MT in the same period last year, according to data released by

Indian Ports Association

(IPA).

The port at

New Mangalore

was the only outlier, recording a rise of 4% in cargo handling compared with the same period in 2019. Kolkata dock and Kamarajar in Chennai saw the lowest traffic with a fall of about 39% each from 2019.

The major types of shipments handled at government ports include POL (crude oil, LPG, LNG), iron ore, fertilizers, coal and container cargo. The only two commodities that did not see a sharp fall in their traffic are iron ore and fertilizers. While iron ore saw a jump of 18.8% over the 2019 quarter, RAW fertiliser saw a jump of 28%.

The most imported commodity during this period remained POL (crude oil, LPG and LNG), followed by coal (thermal steam). Officials said this could be due to weak demand of steel in India during lockdown as most manufacturing units were closed but exports to neighbouring countries rose.

“Many miners from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa wanted to clear their stocks of iron ore. So a majority wasindisent from these places,” said a government official.