Mumbai, Oct. 30 -- V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority handled 25.18 mn t of cargo up to October 2026 in FY 2026-27, crossing the 25-million-tonne milestone on 24 October. The volume was 3.01 per cent higher than the 24.44 mn t handled during the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
Container traffic increased 1.76 per cent to 502,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), compared with 494,000 TEUs a year earlier. Coal handling rose 13.47 per cent from 9,217.90 t to 10,459.94 t, while fertiliser volumes increased to 570,000 t from 233,000 t during the comparable period.
The Port handled 217,000 t of cargo on 5 September 2026, exceeding its previous single-day record of 216,000 t. It also received M.V. CMA CGM THORIUM, a vessel measuring 335.23 metres, which became the longest vessel handled at the facility.
Operational records were also reported at the container and multipurpose terminals. Tuticorin International Container Terminal, operating at Berth No. 9, handled 33,771 TEUs across 32 vessels in September 2026, its highest monthly throughput. JSW Tuticorin Multipurpose Terminal discharged 43,052 t of coal in 24 hours, surpassing its previous record of 41,853 t.
Rail-based fertiliser movement reached new highs, with 8,061 t loaded in a single day on 29 September for FACT, KRIBHCO and IPL. Raja Agencies separately dispatched 6,376.9 t in 100 railway wagons to destinations including Haveri, Sannath Nagar, Bellari and Katpadi. Chairperson Susanta Kumar Purohit attributed the results to stakeholder cooperation and identified operational efficiency, stronger rail and maritime connectivity, infrastructure expansion and smoother cargo movement as continuing priorities.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.