Indian Ports Overview

Ports in India

• India's coastline stretches approximately 7400 km.
• It is served by 13 major ports and approximately 200 minor and private ports.
• Ports are crucial infrastructures that facilitate international trade by enabling the import and export of goods.
• Major ports fall under the purview of the central government.
• Minor ports are monitored by the state government.
• 61 out of the 200 minor ports provide year-round berthing facilities.

Classification of Ports

• Ports can be classified into four categories: Ocean, River, Entry, and Free Ports.
• Ocean ports cater to large, ocean-going ships.
• River ports are situated on the banks of rivers inland.
• Entry ports are locations where foreign citizens and goods undergo customs clearance.
• Free ports are isolated, enclosed areas where goods can be landed, stored, processed, and reshipped without duties.

Kandla Port

• Latitude: 23°01' N, Longitude: 70°13' E.
• Major seaport on India's west coast.
• Kandla Port is India and Asia's first special economic zone.
• The major imports are petroleum, chemicals, and iron.
• The major exports are grains, salt, and textiles.
• The Port of Kandla stands as one of India's top-earning ports.
• Mundra Port, also in Gujarat, is India's largest private port.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port

• Latitude: 18° 56' 43" N, Longitude: 72°56' 24" E.
• The port is the largest artificial port.
• Located on the eastern side of Mumbai, in the Nhava Sheva area, across Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Jawaharlal Nehru Port stands as the largest container port in India, also known as the King port of the Arabian Sea.
• Major imports include machinery, vegetable oils, and chemicals.
• Major exports include textiles, carpets, and boneless meats.

Mumbai Port

• Latitude is 18.9483° N, Longitude is 72.8442° E.
• Located in the southern part of Goa.
• It is a natural deep-water harbor.
• Mumbai Port is the largest port in India.
• The port manages bulk cargo using its four jetties
• The jetties handle liquid chemicals, crude oil, and petroleum products.
• Major imports include machinery, electronics, crude oils, and chemicals.
• Major exports include goat/sheep meat, machinery, agricultural products, metal products, and textiles.

Mormugao Port

• Latitude: 15°25′ N, Longitude: 73°47′ E.
• Mormugao Port is located on the mainland of West Mumbai, specifically on the west coast of India.
• It is an open-type natural harbor.
• The harbor gets its protection from a breakwater.
• Mormugao Port is the top exporter of iron ore in the country.
• A mole is integral to the port's design, constructed at the breakwater and running parallel to the quay.

Mangalore Port

• Latitude is 12.8500° N, Longitude is 74.8354° E.
• It is a natural harbor seaport
• Formerly known as Panambur Port
• It is capable of accommodating deep-water, all-weather vessels.
• The major imports are timber logs, LPG, finished fertilizers, sand, petroleum products, and cargo containers.
• The major exports are manganese, granite stones, coffee, and cashew.
• It is India's largest LPG and third-largest POL handling port.

Cochin Port

• Latitude: 9°58′ N, Longitude: 76°16′ E.
• Cochin Port is a seaport featuring a natural harbor.
• It situates itself on the Arabian Sea and the major Indian Ocean route.
• It links to its hinterland through Kerala, South Tamil Nadu and South Karnataka.
• This network is supported by National Highways NH 47 (Kanyakumari - Salem), NH49 (Cochin-Madurai), and NH 17 (Cochin - Mumbai).
• Cochin Port is also facilitated with Cochin Shipyard, a Kochi refinery, and a Kochi marina.
• Among Indian ports, it is the largest for container shipment handling.

Port Blair

• Latitude is 11.6234° N, and Longitude is 92.7265° E.
• It is known as the youngest seaport.
• It has a natural harbor in India.
• It is one of the country's major ports.
• Port Blair serves as the main shipping hub for the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Major activities in Port Blair revolve around the import and export of processed and natural fish.
• Port Blair operates under the Kolkata Port's jurisdiction.

Tuticorin Port

• Latitude: 8° 45'N, Longitude: 78° 13'E
• It offers an artificial deep-sea harbour.
• Located in Tamil Nadu and operates as an all-weather port.
• Has one of India's largest container terminals.
• Also known for handling pearl fishery.
• Main imports are timber logs, urea, rock phosphate, copper, and industrial coal. It also handles containerized cargo, among other things.
• Exports include sugar, sand, maize, granite stone, sulphuric acid, construction materials, and containerized cargo.

Chennai Port

• Latitude: 13°06' N, Longitude: 80°18′ E
• It is an artificial all-weather port.
• It sits in Chennai, and is India's second-largest port.
• Chennai Port is equipped with lighthouses, intra-port connectivity, railway terminals, and pipelines.
• The imports include mineral oil, machinery, animal or vegetable fat, and organic chemicals.
• The exports include automobiles, machinery, clothing accessories, mineral oil, and knitted apparel.
• It stands as a cars hub for India.

Visakhapatnam Port

• Latitude: 17° 41' N and Longitude: 83° 18' E.
• Visakhapatnam Port is a natural seaport situated in the Bay of Bengal.
• Coal is manually transported through this port.
• A process that stirs environmental concerns.
• The major imports: Coking Coal, Steam Coal, Fertilizer, LAM & Pet Coke
• The major exports: CP Coke, Steel Products, POL, Alumina, Thermal coal

Paradip Port

• Latitude: 20°15'55.44" N, Longitude: 86°40'34.62" E
• Is recognized as an artificial deep-water port with a lagoon harbor.
• Commodities handled: thermal coal, chrome ore, manganese ore, iron ore, charge chrome, ferro chrome, ferro manganese, steel coils, project cargo, coking coal, hard coke, limestone, food grains, fertilizer, DBM, steel billets, scrap, clinkers.

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port

• Latitude: 22.5461° N, Longitude: 88.3149° E
• It's a riverine port alongside the Hooghly River's bank.
• It consist of a Haldia Dock complex, which is located near the Bay of Bengal
• Operations are easy to perform at that complex.
• Major imports: machinery crude oil, paper, and fertilizer.
• Major exports: jute products tea, coal, steel, iron ore, and, copper.

Classification of Harbours by Protection Needed

• Natural harbours: naturally protected by mountains, bays, or islands, used for a long time leading to rapid development.
• Semi-natural harbours: formed naturally but require man-made structures for additional protection against winds and waves.
• Artificial harbours: man-made structures, known as breakwaters, protect the inside water from storms and waves, keeping it still.

Classification of Harbours by Utility

• Commercial Harbours: are meant to be work areas, especially the loading and unloading of a variety cargos.
• Refuge Harbours: meant to provide ships with a safe place to anchor during their journies.
• Military Harbours: naval vessels or the like, used to transport cargo or dock the vessels themself.
• Fishing Harbours: used to transfer cargo to the smaller fishing vessels

Classifications of Harbour by Location

• Ocean Harbours: Seaports situated by very large sea shores
• River Harbours: Constructed in the river ways for travel
• Canal Harbours: Similar to river harbours, the waterways connect through a major river
• Lake Harbours: Harbours that sit along a sea shore, also known as Lake harbours

This quiz assesses knowledge of India's major and minor ports, including their unique characteristics, environmental challenges, key exports, and logistical advantages. Includes ports like Visakhapatnam, Mangalore, Cochin, and others.