The port has also registered a growth rate of 22.37 per cent compared to the throughput of around 37 lakh metric tonne handled during the same period last year.

According to the port, JNPT achieved a new record by handling 60,382 TEUs during August. "Seen in the background of the low economic activity in general, this performance is more commendable", states a JNPT communique.

For the first five months, the port has sustained numero uno position in containerised traffic in the country by handling around 2.6 lakh TEUs. This represents a growth of 27.8 per cent over the previous year.

During last month, the port handled 80 ocean going vessels out of which 56 were container vessels. Of the 56 vessels, 22 container ships came under priority agreement contributing 75per cent of the total throughput with an average parcel size of 2098 TEU.

Thirty-five vessels were handled by the port on `First Come First Serve' basis, contributing 25 per cent of the throughput.

The Inland Container Depot (ICD) traffic during August was also at a high level of 17,440 TEUs which contributed nearly 28.88 per cent of the total monthly traffic.

JNPT's bulk terminal handled around three lakh tonne of cargo during last month. The cargo comprised of fertiliser and fertiliser raw material of around 1.4 lakh metric tonne, 6,323 metric tonne of wheat, liquid cargo (72,858 metric tonne) and iron ore of 85,297 metric tonne.