Indian ports handled total cargo traffic of around 870 million tonnes in 2010-11. While the major ports handled 570 million tonnes, non major ports handled around 34% of the total cargo at 300 million tonnes. Kandla, Visakhapatnam, JNPT and Chennai handled 48.4% of the major ports’ cargo in 2010-11.

Mr GK Vasan union minister of shipping during the seminar on “Development of Ports in Tamil Nadu” said that “About 80% of our total exports is carried by sea, out of which 60% is carried through containerized cargo. Our country enjoys a vibrant port sector comprising of 12 major ports and 176 notified non major ports. Of the major ports, Chennai port ranks 4th in terms of volume of cargo handled in 2010 -2011, with around 12 % of the total cargo handled. Container traffic has witnessed sizeable increase, especially in the recent years across all major ports. Between 2005-06 and 2010-11, containerized traffic grew at the rate 13% per annum.”

The minister added that “The total traffic handled in 2010-11 by Indian ports was 870 million tonnes and is expected to go up to around to 2,495 million tonnes by the year 2020. For the purpose of handling this volume of traffic, the capacity at the ports is expected to enhance to 3,130 million tonnes by 2020. The proposed investment during the next 10 years to create the expected capacity will be INR 0.277 million crores.”

Mr Vasan said that “In India, Tamil Nadu has the second longest coastline of 1,076 kilometers next only to Gujarat. The state has 3 major ports and 22 minor ports. It is the only state in India to have 3 major ports viz., Chennai, Ennore and Tuticorin. It is heartening that Tamil Nadu boasts of the only corporate port under the Union Government with Ennore Port Limited being the first Corporate port in the country.”

The minister referred to certain practical issues like the connectivity and the congestion issues faced by the Chennai Port. He said, in order to solve the problems arising out of these issues, the Government was taking all efforts to speedily execute the Chennai-Ennore Port Road Connectivity Project, the elevated road project from Maduravoyal to Chennai Port, and the setting up of an integrated dry port and multimodal logistics hub at Sriperumbudur for creating off dock space for handling and storing of cargoes, especially for containerization.