South India ports log surge in traffic as ships skip crisis-hit Sri Lanka

The political turmoil and fuel crisis in Sri Lanka are turning out to be an opportunity for ports in South India, which are seeing a surge in traffic.

Industry bodies said at least 10 per cent of normal cargo is being diverted from Sri Lanka to Indian ports due to multiple reasons like congestion and shortage in fuel availability.

Kochi International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) in Vallarpadam has seen a 37 per cent surge in transhipment and 14 per cent rise in container traffic during the first three months of the financial year. 

A similar rise has been seen