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PORTS AND HARBOURS IN INDIA

Technical Report · July 2021

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22963.35367

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 PORTS AND HARBOURS IN INDIA

By
Prof. A. Balasubramanian
Professor (Retd),, Centre for Advanced Studies in Earth Science,
Former Dean, Faculty of Science & Technology,
University of Mysore,
Mysore-570026, India

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 PORTS AND HARBOURS IN INDIA

By
Prof. A. Balasubramanian
Professor (Retd), Centre for Advanced Studies in Earth Science,
Former Dean, Faculty of Science & Technology,
University of Mysore,
Mysore-570026, India

Introduction:

The transportation sector is a strong factor for balanced development of the economy of a region
having coastal zones. Ports constitute an important economic activity in coastal areas. A vast
majority of industries in the world are located in the coastal belts, in the vicinity of major
ports. Seaports are important interfaces in the supply chain between sea and land transportation
and a component of freight distribution as the entrance of produce, merchandise and passengers
to a country, but as well as the exit door to all the exports to the international markets. Indian
maritime history began during the 3rd millennium BCE. It happened when the inhabitants of
the Indus Valley initiated maritime trading contact with Mesopotamia.

As per the Vedic records. the Indian traders and merchants traded with Far East and the Arabia.
During the Maurya period (3rd century BC), there was a definite 'naval department' to supervise
the ships and trade. India has been one of the most important points of sea trade in the entire
South Asian region since the beginning of maritime trade. Long before the development of the
Silk Road, the ships belonged to Indian traders travelled thousands of miles crossing the Indian
Ocean and the Arabian Sea to find their markets in the West Asia, East Asia, South East Asia
and East Africa. Similarly, merchants from these regions, especially Arabians and Chinese
frequently visited the Indian Subcontinent, trading silk, spices, porcelain, ivory and even slaves.

Ports are land facilities

Ports are land facilities constructed to transfer goods between water and land. They consist of
major features such as:
 Docks or berths where vessels moor;
 Equipment and personnel to load and unload vessels;
 Connections to land transportation (such as highways, railways, and pipelines); and
 Cargo storage areas.
Ports are intermodal facilities, a place where rail, truck, barge, ship, and other transport methods
converge. Historically, ports were constructed in geographically favorable locations to expedite
the transfer of goods.

Active dockside communities emerged and thrived as waterborne trade flourished. The use of
available land for landside facilities development was acceptable. Meeting a few obstacles for
such expansion should be in the name of economic prosperity. Landside facilities capable of

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accommodating large containerships require long berth lengths, large cranes, and railway or
highway access.

The increased awareness of environmental conditions has significantly influenced port planning
and operations. The dredging or deepening of channels to maintain their navigability involves
removing sediment , rock, and debris from the channel bottom. The bottom materials can vary
from channel to channel, ranging from rock to sand to mud. Because dredging disturbs the
channel bottom material as well as the plants and animals living in the water, its environmental
impact depends partly on the type of channel bottom. Where channel bottom material is
contaminated, disturbing the sediment can further degrade the environment by distributing or
releasing these contaminants(water Encyclopedia).

Well-maintained channels are vital to the success of any port. Typically the Army Corps of
Engineers and various local scientists and engineers , work together as partners in the planning
process. Navigation planning must consider many factors, including channel width and depth,
shipping and navigation technologies, terminal facilities, climate, seasonal variations, currents,
tides, and physical limitations of a waterway (such as bottom conditions). Planners seek to
determine the best locations for channels, harbors, and canals. Recent developments in hydraulic
modeling have greatly aided these planning efforts. The overall goal of these planning projects is
to maximize the benefits of the port to a community.

Ancient ports in India

Shamseer Mambra(2019) provided the following basic details about the ancient ports of India.

The oldest port in India is Lothal. It was an important port city of Indus valley civilization. It
was located in today’s Bhal region of Gujarat. Existed about 4500 years ago, the remains of the
port city of Lothal were discovered in 1954 and were excavated by the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) from 13 February 1955 to 19 May 1960. The excavations led to the discovery of a
mound, a township, a marketplace as well as the dock, cementing the existence of the port in
Lothal ( Shamseer Mambra,2019).

Muziris is yet another ancient port city located in today’s Indian state of Kerala. It was one of the
most important trading ports in the world, almost 2,000 years ago. Existed in the first century
BC, the Muziris port had played a significant role in connecting the region with the Persians, the
Phoenicians, the Assyrians, the Greeks, the Egyptians and the Roman Empire. While spices,
particularly black pepper, were the key item exported from the Muziris port, other commodities
shipped include semi-precious stones, diamonds, ivory and pearls, among others. According to
historians, the goods arrived at Muziris from over 30 countries were mostly textile, wine, wheat
and gold coins etc.

Poompuhar port is believed to be the Port town of Chozha Empire. Located in the current
Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu, the ancient port city was also named as
Kaveripoompattinam , in historic documents. It was rdue to the reason that it is situated in the

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mouth of the Cauvery River. Details about the port city have been found in several historic
documents including Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. According to historians, the port witnessed
the Indian merchants trading their commodities, mostly spices, with other Asian countries as
well as Arabs.

Arikamedu is yet another port city in south India. It is located in today’s Puducherry, a union
territory of India. It is known as the port of Podouke in historical documents. With mentions in
the Periplus Maris Erytheaae and Tamil poems of the Sangam period. The port of Arikamedu is
believed to be an active trading port of the region with the Roman Empire as early as second
century BC. People believe that this was a Chola port dedicated to bead making and it was the
only port city in the region to have ties with Romans. In addition, textiles, terracotta artefacts,
plants, spices and jewellery were also shipped from the Indian port to Roman ports and other
eastern destinations.

Almost 2000 years ago, Bharuch port was a prominent one in the Indian subcontinent region. It
was also one of the most important cosmopolitan cities around the world then. Located in the
region that comes under the current state of Gujarat and at the mouth of the river Narmada,
Bharuch was also known as Bharukaccha and Barygaza to the merchants from around the world.
Along with Muziris, Calicut, also known as Kozhikode, was also one of the busiest ports and
trading centres in the extreme southern part of India. It is located on the coast of Arabian Sea.
This port was an important trading port especially for spices including pepper, cloves and
cinnamon. The history of the port city goes back to AD 1100. It began to grow as a notable trade
centre under the Chera regime.

Tuticorin or Thoothukudi port is one of the oldest seaports in India. It was established during the
6th century. It is located at 550 km South West of today’s Chennai. This region of Thoothukudi
was ruled by several dynasties including the Pandyas and the Cholas in the past, often using it as
their important seaport. The most important trade in this region included fishery and pearl. The
earliest mention of the port has been made in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.

Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of India

According to the Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of India, around 95% of India's trading by volume
and 70% by value are done through maritime transport. In November 2020, the Prime Minister,
Mr. Narendra Modi renamed the Ministry of Shipping as the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and
Waterways.

India has 12 major and 205 notified minor and intermediate ports. Under the National
Perspective Plan for Sagarmala, six new mega ports will be developed in the country. The Indian
ports and shipping industry play a vital role in sustaining growth in the country’s trade and
commerce. India is the sixteenth-largest maritime country in the world with a coastline of about
7,517 kms.

The Indian Government plays an important role in supporting the ports sector. It has allowed
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of up to 100% under the automatic route for port and harbour

4
construction and maintenance projects. It has also facilitated a 10-year tax holiday to enterprises
that develop, maintain and operate ports, inland waterways and inland ports.

Ports and harbours:

Port is nothing but a place for docking, traffic and storage of boats. On the contrary, a harbour is
a place for storing boats. Ports are a creation of man, whereas harbours are both natural or man
made. The basic purpose served by ports are to provide trading facilities goods and cargo,
from one country to another.

The word ‘Port’ comes from the Latin word ‘Porta’ which means gateway. Port is the gateway of
a country as exports and imports are handled through them. There are two main types of ports,
namely, sea port and riverine port. Also, there are dry ports where linkage is maintained by air
routes. Our country with a long coast line of about 7,500 km possesses more than 180 working
ports. Nearly 94 per cent of its foreign trades move. by sea routes. In shipping tonnage India
ranks sixth in Asia; however, it comes at the 17th position in world merchant shipping.

Ports in India

All ports in India are situated in the 9 coastal states of India namely Kerala, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. India’s
extended coastline forms one of the major portions of land that juts out into a water body.
Thirteen major ports in the country handle a lot of volume of container and cargo traffic. On the
west coast, there are the ports of Mumbai, Kandla, Mangalore, JNPT, Mormugao, and Cochin.
The ones on the east coast are the ports at Chennai, Tuticorin, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, Kolkata,
and Ennore. The last one, Ennore is a registered public company with the government owning a
68% stake. In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, there is Port Blair. Mumbai is the largest natural
port in India.

All these major ports are administered in accordance with the provisions of the Major Port Trust
Act, 1963. They handled a total cargo traffic of 179.3 million tonnes during the financial year
1993-94.

Important Ports in India

India has a coastline spanning 7516.6 kilometres, forming one of the biggest peninsulas in the
world. According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, around 95 per cent of
India's trading by volume and 70 per cent by value is done through maritime transport. It is
serviced by 13 major ports (12 Government-owned and one private) and 187 notified minor and
intermediate ports. Port Blair which was notified as major port in 2010 was removed of its status
recently.

The total 200 major and non-major ports are present in the following States: Maharashtra (53);
Gujarat (40); Tamil Nadu (15); Karnataka (10) and others (82).

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The Indian Government has allowed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of up to 100 per cent
under the automatic route for port and harbour construction and maintenance projects. The
government has also initiated National Maritime Development Programme , an initiative to
develop the maritime sector with a planned outlay of US$11.8 billion. In FY20, major ports in
India handled 704.82 million tonnes of cargo traffic, implying a CAGR of 2.74% during FY16-
20.

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The list of important ports in India is given below:

Zone State Port Features

Eastern Coast Tamil Nadu Chennai Artificial Port

Second busiest port

Western Coast Kerala Kochi Sited in the Vembanad lake

Exports of spices and salts

Eastern Coast Tamil Nadu Ennore India’s First corporatized port

Eastern Coast West Bengal Kolkata India’s only major Riverine port
Situated on Hugli river
Known as Diamond Harbour

Western Coast Gujarat Kandla Known as Tidal Port

Acknowledged as Trade Free Zone
Largest port by volume of cargo
handled.

Western Coast Karnataka Mangalore Deals with the iron ore exports

Western Coast Goa Mormugao Situated on the estuary of the river

Zuari

Western Coast Maharashtra Mumbai Port Largest Natural Port and harbour In
Trust India
The busiest port in India

Western Coast Maharashtra Jawaharlal Largest Artificial Port

Nehru Port It is the Largest Container Port in
Trust (JNPT) India.
also known as
Nhava Sheva,
Navi Mumbai

Eastern Coast Odisha Paradip Natural Harbor

deals with the export of iron and
aluminium

Eastern Coast Tamil Nadu Tuticorin A major port in south India

deals with the fertilizers and
petrochemical products

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Eastern Coast Andhra Pradesh Visakhapatnam Deepest port of India
deals with the export of iron ore to
Japan. Amenities for building and
fixing of ships are available

Bay of Bengal Andaman & Port Blair The port connected to the mainland
Nicobar Islands of India through ship and flight. This
port is situated in between two
international shipping lines namely
Saudi Arabia & US Singapore.

The classification of ports into major, minor, and intermediate has administrative significance.
The Union Shipping Ministry handles the major ports, the minor and intermediate ports are
administered by the relevant departments or ministries of the respective coastal states.

Ports of Western Coast

Mumbai :

Mumbai is the largest port of India, handling over one fifth of the total traffic of the country,
bulk of which consists of petroleum products and dry cargo. It is situated at the western end of
the Konkan plain. Its harbour is natural, deep and free from maritime disturbances. The average
volume of cargo handled through this port is about 27.5 million tonnes per annum. The
Mumbai Port is located in the mainland of west Mumbai on the West coast of India with natural
deep-water harbor. Mumbai Port is the largest port in India and handles bulk cargo traffic with
its four jetties for handling Liquid chemicals, Crude and petroleum products. International
container traffic of Mumbai Port is directed to the new and big Nhava Sheva port.

It is a magnificent natural harbour on the West Coast of India. The deep 10-12 metre sea
adjoining the harbour with no sand banks enables big ships to enter the port easily. It handles
approximately one-fifth of India’s foreign trade with predominance in dry cargo and mineral oil
from the Gulf countries.

Mumbai is a gateway to India from the west and handles large scale trade of great variety. The
major items of export are cotton textiles, leather, tobacco, manganese, machinery, chemical
goods etc. while the imports include crude oil, superior quality raw cotton, latest machines,
instruments and drugs. This port is likely to progress further with the economic development of
its hinterland.

Kandla-Seaport-Gujarat

This port on the coast of the Gulf of Kachchh in Gujarat is the second largest port. Kandla has
a free trade zone and handles all types of traffic. The harbour is natural, deep and protected.
Main import items are machinery, iron and steel, mineral oil and chemical products. Export
items are oilseeds, food grains, cotton textiles, cement and salt. The average volume of cargo

8
handled is 16 million tonnes per annum. Gujarat host the major seaport of west coast, The
Kandla Port is situated on the Gulf of Kutch near the Gandhidham city in Kutch District of
Gujarat. The Port of Kandla is the first special economic zone in India as well as in Asia.
Kandla Port is hub for major imports like petroleum, chemicals and iron also export grains, salt
and textiles. Port of Kandla is one of the highest earning ports of India, another port in Gujarat
is Mundra Port,India’s largest private port.

Kandla has a capacity of handling a total traffic of 23.3 million tonnes. This port has been
developed after independence to relieve congestion on Mumbai port. With the loss of Karachi
to Pakistan as a result of partition of the country in 1947, the necessity of constructing a port
on the Gujarat coast was keenly felt.

Marmagao :

The main port of Goa, Marmagao port is a best natural harbors of India located in South Goa.
Marmagao port is one of the leading iron ores exporter port in India and raw materials too.The
port of Marmagao is one of the major attraction of Goa along with the beautiful city of Vasco da
Gama and international airport Dabolim. The natural harbor of Goa is one of India’s earliest
modern ports. Marmagao occupies fifth position in terms of total quantum of traffic handled. It
is located at the mouth. of the Zuari river in Goa. It is an export oriented port, the main item of
export being iron ore. The net amount of goods exchanged is about 15 million tonnes per annum
of which export of iron are contributes more than 12.5 million tonnes.

New-Mangalore-Seaport

Panambur Port known as the New Mangalore Port, is a seaport located near to Surathkal railway
station in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. New Mangalore Port is a deep water all
weather port and the only major port of Karnataka and one of the largest port in India.
Port of Mangalore export major commodities like manganese, granite stones, coffee and cashew
and main imports includes timber logs, LPG, petroleum products and cargo containers. There is a
beautiful beach at south of sea port of Panambur along with the shore of the Arabian Sea.
It is the ninth largest port of the country located in Karnataka on the Arabian Sea coast. Its
main export item is iron ore. Other goods exported are coffee, cashew and coconut products.
Main goods imported are foodstuff, fertiliser and mineral oil.

Tea, coffee, rice, cashew nuts, fish, rubber etc. are exported through this port. The major items
of import through this port are crude oil, fertilizers, edible oils etc. Its main importance lies in
export of iron ore from the Kundremukh mines. The port is well linked through broad gauge
rail line and NH-17 with Mumbai and Kanniyakumari.

Kochi/ Cochin Port – Kerala

The Cochin port is one of the largest port in India and the major port on the Arabian Sea and
Indian Ocean sea route. The port of Cochin lies on two islands of Willingdon and Vallarpadam
and the largest container transshipment facility in India. Kochi Port is equipped with maritime
facilities Cochin Shipyard,Kochi Refineries and Kochi Marina. Kochi city is famous for its

9
traditional spices and well known as the port city of Fort Kochi during the European colonials. It
also get its individual Kochi international airport, third international airport in the state of Kerala.

Situated on the Malabar coast in Kerala, Kochi has a natural harbour. The main goods
imported are foodgrains, fertiliser and mineral oil. Principal exports are tea, coffee, rubber,
cashew, coconut oil, coir products. The Kochi Oil Refinery receives crude oil through this
port. It is also a ship-building centre. Imports through this port far excel the exports. For
example, the total imports through this port in the year 2002-03 were 10,839 thousand tonnes
as against exports of only 2,110 thousand tonnes in the same year. In other words, imports are
about five times more than the exports.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port:

Formerly known as Nhava Sheva port, this port was opened on 26th May, 1989. This new port
has been built at an island named Nhava Sheva across the famous Elepthanta caves, about 10 km
from Mumbai. Built at the cost of Rs. 880 crore, this port is named Jawaharlal Nehru port as a
tribute to the first prime minister of India. The main purpose of this port is to release pressure on
the Mumbai port. This port has come into being to reduce the pressure on Mumbai Port. It is
equipped with modern facilities like mechanised container berths for handling dry bulk cargo,
service berth etc. The important minor ports of the western coast are Okha, Porbandar,
Bhavnagar, Surat, Bharuch, Allappuzha and Kozhikode.

Ports of Eastern Coast

Tuticorin-Seaport

Tuticorin Port is an artificial deep-sea harbour and one of the 12 major ports of India. It is also
the second largest port in Tamil Nadu first is Chennai Port and one of the largest container
terminal in India. The artificial port of Tuticorin is a all weather port and who receive a large
volume of international traffic.

Port of Tuticorin are a used to be best port for maritime trade and pearl fishery on the bay of
Bengal. The port city is also known as Pearl City and is one of the beautiful sea gateways of
India from Tamil Nadu state.

Situated in Tamil Nadu on the Gulf of Mannar it is the 8th largest port of the country. The
average of bulk handled per annum is 4 million tonnes of which import contributes 90 per cent.
The main imports are coal cement mineral oil. The export items are salt, spices are pearl.

Chennai (Madras) :

Madras Port is the one of the oldest port of India and the second largest port in the country.
Chennai Port also the largest port in the Bay of Bengal and a hub port for cars, big containers and
cargo traffic in the east coast of India. Port of the Coromandel Coast handles a variety of cargo
containers, automobiles,coal,fertilizers and petroleum products. Chennai Port terminals have
lighthouses around,Intra port connectivity, Pipelines and railway terminus. It is the third largest

10
port of the country. Its harbour is artificial. Main export items are groundnut, oilseeds, coffee,
tea, tobacco, manganese, iron ore etc. Machinery, foodgrains, mineral oil, paper etc, are
imported. The average cargo handled per an million is 11 million tonnes.

Chennai- Ennore

This port has recently been developed to reduce pressure of traffic on Chennai port. Located
slightly in the north of Chennai on the Tamil Nadu coast, this is the country’s first corporate port.
It envisages construction of two coal berths, one iron ore berth, one LNG berth, two POL/liquid
chemicals berths and one crude oil berth for handling very large crude carriers.

Visakhapatnam / Vizag Port – Andhra Pradesh:

It is the deepest and the fifth largest port of the country. It's harbour is natural. The average bulk
of cargo handled per annum is 13 million tones. The main exports are manganese, nuts, oilseeds,
wood and iron ore. The main imports are machinery, chemical goods and mineral oil. The port
city Visakhapatnam is located on the southeast coast of India in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Visakhapatnam or Vizag has one of the India’s largest seaport and the oldest shipyard of country.
The Visakhapatnam harbors is the only Natural harbors in the bay of Bengal shore. Kakinada
Port is second port city in Andhra and Krishnapatnam Port is a privately built deep water port in
Andhra Pradesh.

Paradip Port – Orissa

The artificial, deep-water port of east coast of India is located in the Jagatsinghpur district of
Orissa state. Port of Paradip is the major port in the east cost shore and situated at the confluence
of great river Mahanadi and the Bay of Bengal. Paradip Port has its own railway system,cold
handling plant and a national highway connects the port with rest of Indian road networks. It is
a new port on the Orissa coast developed mainly for export of iron ore. Other export item of
importance is manganese.

Constructed in the Second Five Year Plan period, this handles iron-ore and coal along with some
other dry cargo. Large quantity of iron ore is exported to Japan through this port. The imports
through port are only half of its exports.

Calcutta- Haldia Port – West Bengal

Calcutta is a riverine port on ht Hugli river, 202 km off the Bay of Bengal. Its harbour is
artificial. At one time this port was the leading port of the country. Now its position has come
down to sixth in the hierarchial order mainly because of deterioration of the Hugli river channel.
The average amount of cargo handled per annum is 15 million tonnes. The import items are
fertilizer, salt, cement, cereals, iron and steel and machineries. Major export items are tea, coal
and. jute products. To supplement Calcutta port, Haldia port has been set up close of Bengal in
the mouth of the Haldi river.

A new mechanised dock system at Haldia with provision draft vessels supplements the facilities

11
available at Calcutta. Haldia port or Calcutta Port is a major seaport situated near the Hooghly
River in the state of West Bengal. Port of Haldia is one of the major trade center for Calcutta
and receive bulk cargoes of Chemicals, Petrochemicals and oils. Port of Kolkata is also a base of
Indian Coast Guard.

Haldia has an oil refinery and a fertilizer factory. A large integrated petro-chemical plant has
also been set up here. An important rail link connects Haldia with Kharagpur. The main items of
trade are mineral oil and petroleum products. Haldia-Dock complex is considering plans to
develop a berth on ВОТ basis. The hinterland of Haldia covers the same territories as that of
Kolkata although to a much lesser extent.

Minor ports on the eastern coast

Minor ports on the eastern coast are Chandbali, Gopalpur, Machhilipatnarn, Dhanuskodi,
Pondicherry, Karaikal etc. The adjacent map shows the location of sea and riverine ports as
well as the two dry ports of Delhi and Bangalore. The primary hinterland of all these ports have
been demarcated on the basis of the shortest route to be covered by rail/road. However, the area
of the hinterland of each port are often overlapping depending upon the item to be handled.

Andaman-Seaport-Portblair

Port Blair is the capital city of Andaman Nicobar Islands, a Union Territory of India located at
the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. Port Blair is the youngest sea port in India
and one of the 12 major port of the country. The only port of The Andaman islands are
connected to mainland of India through flight and ship. Port Blair is the principal hub for
shipping in the islands of Andaman and the one of the most popular tourist destination with
several places of interest around like virgin beaches, scuba diving and water sports.

Harbours

A harbor is a place on the coast where vessels may find shelter, especially one protected from
rough water by piers, jetties, and other artificial structures. A harbor (American English) or
harbour (British English ) is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be
docked. The term harbor is often used interchangeably with port, which is a man-made facility
built for loading and unloading vessels and dropping off and picking up passengers. Ports usually
include one or more harbors. Alexandria Port in Egypt is an example of a port with two harbors.

By definition, harbour is an area in the body of water to provide spaces for ships, barger and
boats. They are used by ships as shelters from stormy weather and are also stored for future use.

Types of Harbours

Harbors may be natural or artificial. An artificial harbor can have deliberately constructed
breakwaters, sea walls, or jettys or they can be constructed by dredging, which requires
maintenance by further periodic dredging.

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A natural harbor is a landform where a section of a body of water is protected and deep enough
to allow anchorage. Many such harbors are rias. Natural harbors have long been of great strategic
naval and economic importance, and many great cities of the world are located on them. Having
a protected harbor reduces or eliminates the need for breakwaters as it will result in calmer
waves inside the harbor. Artificial harbors are frequently built for use as ports.

Here are examples of artificial harbours:

 Port of Long Beach, California, U.S.
 Port of Houston, Texas, U.S.
 Port of Rotterdam , Netherlands.
And here are examples of natural harbours:
 Visakhapatnam
 Trincomalee Harbour Sri Lanka
 Vizhinjam India

Harbours are calssified into 3 types.

Natural harbour – A natural harbor is a such an arrangement where a part of a body of water is
protected and is deep enough to allow ships to anchor. The ships can stay protected or hidden
from most sides. The waves are also much calmer inside the harbor. Some examples are New
York City harbor in the United States, Sydney Harbor in Australia and Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

Man-made harbour – Man made or artificial harbors are built for use as ports. All artificial
harbors are ports because they are designed to be one. The largest artificially created harbor is
Jebel Ali in Dubai. Some other examples are Port of Long Beach, California; and Port of Los
Angeles in San Pedro, California.

Ice free harbour – There is another category of harbours and that is Ice free harbors. For places
near the south and the north pole where there is ice all year round, it is very important for the
harbours to be ice free. Some examples of ice free harbors are Murmansk, Russia; St.
Petersburg, Russia; Hammerfest, Norway; Vardø, Norway; and Prince Rupert Harbour, Canada.
So you see mostly in Russia, Norway and Canada, nearer to the north pole.

Harbours and sea works, harbour also spelled harbor, any part of a body of water and the
manmade structures surrounding it that sufficiently shelters a vessel from wind, waves, and
currents, enabling safe anchorage or the discharge and loading of cargo and passengers.

Fishing Harbours:

Ancy Sebastian while presenting the findings of the Quality and Safety Requirements for Fishing
Harbours and Landing Centers( ICAR-Central Institute of Fisherries Technology, Kochi) gave
the following points:

1. A fishing harbour is a stretch of water body providing safe anchorage of fishing vessels,
executing activities like landing, handling, processing and marketing of fish, facilitating
meeting of buyers, sellers and service providers thus making it a point of convergence

13
 between production and trade. Until 1950, there were about 1,300 fish landing centres
scattered along the Indian coastline. Most centers were open beaches, where basic
facilities for landing and disposal of the catch were not available.

2. By 1975 the construction of fishing harbours at major and minor ports and provision of
landing facilities at various sites were taken up. The initial approach was to provide
limited landing and berthing facilities such as a jetty, deepening of the entrance channel,
provision of a breakwater, market hall, guide lights, etc. Such facilities were provided at
about 90 sites, the most important of which are Porbander, Mangrol, Veraval,
Navabunder and Jaffrabad in Gujarat, Karwar in Karnataka, Ponnani, Baliapatnam,
Mopla Bay, Beypore, Azhicode and Vizhinjam in Kerala, Rameswaram, Nagapatnam,
Cuddalore and Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and Chandipur in
Orissa

Most of the Fishery Harbours and Fish landing centres require periodic maintenance dredging for
maintaining the required draft in the harbour basis and approach channels.

The role of the fishing port may be considered as the interface between the netting of fish and its
consumption. In many cases, the fishing harbour is also the focal point of pollution, both of the
surrounding environment and the fishery products it produces. Many fishing harbours are also
the source of major impacts on the physical and biological coastal environment.

Fishing ports and fish landing sites are complex dynamic interface zones involving the mixing of
environmental, ecological, economic and social activities and problems. This heterogeneous mix
of activities demands strong cross-sector interaction at the planning stage to ensure that the
resulting infrastructure may be managed in a sustainable manner.

In recent years, world fisheries have become a market-driven sector of the food industry and
many coastal states have striven to take advantage of this new opportunity by investing heavily,
and sometimes haphazardly, in fishing port infrastructure.

Degradation of the marine environment can result from a wide range of activities on land.
Coastal erosion and siltation are of particular concern. Hence, rational use and development of
coastal areas as well as conservation of the marine environment require the ability to determine
the present state of these ecological systems and to predict future conditions.

Functional Fisheries Harbours

There are four functional fisheries harbours in the north Tamil Nadu-south Andhra Pradesh
coast, viz., Chennai (major), Nizampatnam, Cuddalore and Pazhayar (minor). A medium harbour
in Pondicherry is under construction. There is a temporary jetty in Krishnapatnam and a fish
lan ding platform in Pulicat.

Nizampatnam :
The harbour was designed to accommodate 120 boats Fig. 1. However, 360 trawlers have been
registered here. At present, Royya (length: 10 m; 65 hp engine), Sorah (11m; 95 hp) and Sana

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(14 m; 95 hp) type of trawlers, Navas (Kakinada type of plank-built boats of 11-14 m length: 16-
20 hp), fibreglass Navas (12 m; 16 h p), fibreglass Theppas (12 m; 7 hp) and catamarans
(motorised and non-motorlsed) ope rate from this harbour. Trawl nets, gill nets, hooks & lines
and shore seines are being opera ted.The major fishing areas of the trawlers is bet ween
Nizampatnam and Machilipatnam upto a depth of 50 m.

Krishnapatnam:
Though a survey was con ducted about 20 years back to construct a fishe ries harbour, there is
no progress so far and the fishing vessels land the catch in six temporary jet ties in the
Krishnapatnam port. About 70 traw lers operate from these jetties. Most of the catch is sent to
Madras in insulated vans by private companies.

Chennai :
The construction of the Madras Fisheries Harbour commenced in 1973 and was completed in
lQ84. The total harbour area is 60 hectares and the depth of water during low tide is 6 m Fig. 2.
The tidal amplitude is 1 m. Inspite of the landing facilities, all the vessels land the catch in a
narrow stretch of sheltered beach adjacent to the fisheries harbour. The trawler owners engage
catamarans to transport the catches to this landing stretch and use the wharf only to berth the
vessel. There are 480 trawlers in Madras Fisheries Harbour. Of these, 180 are small trawlers of
10-11 m length (65 hp), which undertake daily fishing off Chennai. There are 300 larger trawlers
of 13-15 m length (100-120 hp), which under take multiday fishing lasting for about a week
and trawl off Nizampatnam, which is about 315 km north of Chennai. Both these types of
traw lers fish at a depth of 15-80 m.

Pondicherry :
Although there is good potential for marine fisheries development, there is no sheltered harbour
for fishing vessels in Pondicherry at present. There is a proposal to construct a fisheries harbour
at Thengathittu near Pondicherry. The project would include (i) provision for landing and
berthing facilities to mechanised fishing vessels, (ii) construction of shore based establishments
and (iii) distribution and marketing arrangements for fish and fisheries products through the
proposed Fishery Terminal Organization.

Cuddalore :
The original fisheries harbour has become defunct and is not used at present. However, the Spoil
Island jetty, which belongs to the Cuddalore Port Department was renovated at a cost of Rs. 10
lakhs in 1985-'86 and is at present used as the fisheries harbour. There is facility for berthing 60
mechanised fish ing vessels in 3 rows. There are two private processing plants near the fisheries
har bour. The catch is marketed locally and also in Chennai and Kerala.

Pazhayar :
The Pazhayar Fisheries Harbour was commissioned in 1986 at a cost of Rs. 67.32 lakhs. There is
berthing facility for 75 mechanised vessels. There is a 44 m landing wharf but separate berthing
quay is not available.

Petuaghat Fishing Harbour is a fishing harbour established near the mouth of the Rasulpur
River at Petuaaghat in Purba Medinipur district. The port originated in 2010 in the then West

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Bengal's then-fashioned M. K. Narayanan. The port has been developed in 11.8 hectares of land.
The port is India's seventh largest fishing port. The port has 400 deep sea fishing trawlers and
200 traditional trawlers. There is also one ice mill, an ice house, a fake fabric center, and a trailer
oil sales center at the port. A trailer repair center has also been proposed to be built.

New fishing harbours of Andhra Pradesh

Juvvaladinne (Nellore)
Nizampatnam (Guntur)
Machilipatnam (Krishna)
Uppada (East Godavari)
Second phase Budagatlapalem (Srikakulam)
Pudimadaka (Visakhapatnam)
Biyyaputippa (West Godavari)
Kothapatnam (Prakasam)

Fishery Harbours in Kerala

Sl. No. Fishery Harbour

1 Kayamkulam

2 Thottappally

3 Chethi (I and II)

4 Arthungal II

Ports of Karnataka

New Mangalore Port

New Mangalore Port is a deep-water, all-weather port at Panambur, Mangalore. The New
Mangalore Port is the only major port of Karnataka and is currently the seventh largest port in
India.

Old Mangalore Port

The Old Mangalore Port is located to south of New Mangalore Port. It is popularly known by
name of Bunder. The port was used to ferry goods and passengers to Lakshadweep island and
Middle East countries. Now fishing has become main activity of this harbour.

Belekeri port

Belekeri Port is located at binge bay, south of the Kali estuary and 27 km South to Karwar, Uttar
Kannada Dist, Karnataka. For now second biggest port after Mangalore Port in Karnataka. Only
main advantage is nearer to Hospet and Bellary cities which are major producers of Iron Ore.
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This port is mainly used for Exporting of Iron Ore. Vessels won't come to shore/berth. Ore is
transported to ships in sea through bargers. For now three jettys are available for barger loading.
Port is not well dredged. Some private companies are operating.

Tadadi port

This port is situated in the estuary of the Aghanashini river. The backwaters of the river
Aghanashini forms a vast water front at this port and there opportunity to develop this port with
modern infrastructure. The Konkan railway line and N.H. 17 are pass close to the port area. Also,
N.H. 63 and the proposed Hubli - Ankola railway line and Honnavar Tumkur N.H. 206 are
infrastructure for all-round development of Tadadi port. This port is projected for development
under the BOOST (Build, Own, Operate, Share, and Transfer) concept through private
participation. Vast area is available for development of the port with negligible rehabilitation
problems. Tadadi port has an effective hinterland of about 2.00 lakhs square metres comprising
central and northern parts of Karnataka and some parts of Andhra Pradesh, which are rich in
minerals, forests, agricultural, and marine resources.

Honnavar port

Honnavar port is located at the place where Sharavati river joins Arabian Sea. The port is near to
town of Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district. Efforts to make this port for handling of larger
ships have not been successful. The National Highway 17 and Honnavar railway station on
Konkan Railway route is nearby.
Bhatkal port

This port is well – protected port on the bank of sharabhi river. Vijayanagar empire time this port
was used to trade with arabs, Presently fishing vessels are utilising the facilities of this port. This
port could be developed as a modern fishing harbour with full-fledged fish handling facilities.
The Port is surrounded by hills and river

Kundapura(Gangolli) port

The port is at the confluence of Pancha gangolli river. The port is near the town Gangolli of
Kundapura in Udupi district. Even though National Highway 17 and Konkan railway pass near
this port, development of this port has not taken place. Considered mainly for fishing

Hangarakatta port

This port is located in Udupi district of Karnataka state. Hangarkatta port is mainly used by
fishing boats. The port is banks of Swarna river and Sita river.

Malpe port

Malpe port is situated near town of Udupi. The port is located on confluence of Udyavara river
and Arabian Sea. The port mostly handles fishing activities and sometimes cargo also.

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Padubidri port

Padubidri is located in Udupi district of Karnataka state. There are talks of Padubidre port being
developed for handling coal required for thermal power generating station being set up in nearby
village of Nandikur.

Fishing harbours of Maharashtra

The distinguished fishing harbours are Satpati, Dandi, Erangal-Bhati, Harne, Sakharnate,
Jeevana, Agardanda, Tembhi, Naigaon, Dabhol, Makrebaug, Murbe, Vasai, Dahanu, Palshet,
Bodani, Shiroda, Malvan, Revdanda, Agrav, Ulwe,Veshvi, Mith Mumbri and Arnala.

Port in Goa

Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) is a port on the western coast of India, in the coastal state of Goa.
Commissioned in 1885 on the site of a natural harbour, it is one of India's oldest ports.

Fishing harbours in Gujarat

For development of facilities at seven fishing harbours and centers e.g. Mangrol, Navabandar,
Madhwad, Porbandar, Veraval, Sutrapada and Choravad, an amount of INR 300 crore is
provided as Non-Budgetary Resources for the year 2016-17. ► Gujarat has 1,600 km long
coastline and about 0.21 mn sq. km wide EEZ.

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Some of the important socio- economic benefits of ports are(GS SCORE):
• Fuels economic development - They are important links of hinterlands to points overseas.
They facilitate movement of goods to and from hinterland. They increase international trade (
both exports and import). Increase in exports lead to industrialization in the hinterland as well as
around ports. Increase in imports lead to increase in consumer choice and provision of goods at
competitive rates.
• Development of cities - Most of the world’s major cities are port cities. Ports spur the
economic activities around them like banking, finance, Insurance, logistic etc. This lead to
development of cities around ports. For example – Mumbai and Kolkata.
• Increase in Employment - Ports increase employment both directly and indirectly. Direct
employment refers to employment in port related activities. Indirect employment increases due
to increased industrialization and increase in other services like banking and insurance.
• Relatively Environment friendly - When compared to other transportation systems, railway
transportation requires twice as much energy consumption, while road transportation requires ten
times as much as sea conveyance. During the past few decades the world has become
increasingly environmentally conscious and, with its lower energy consumption, marine
transportation is obviously more environmentally friendly than other means.
• Increase world Economic Integration – Globalization has been partially successful due to
cheap transportation facilitated by ports.
• Development of Infrastructure – Increase the economic activity between hinterland and ports
lead to development of infrastructure including railways, roads & inland waterways. Such

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infrastructure makes our exports more competitive and as a spillover effect provide world class
infrastructure to citizens.

Sagar Mala project is a strategic and customer-oriented initiative of the Government to

modernize India's Ports so that port-led development can be augmented and coastlines can be
developed to contribute in India's growth. It looks towards transforming the existing Ports into
modern world class Ports and integrate the development of the Ports, the Industrial clusters and
hinterland and efficient evacuation systems through road, rail, inland and coastal waterways
resulting in Ports becoming the drivers of economic activity in coastal areas.

Conclusion

Ports are an important link in the supply chains that connect manufacturers with the markets.
Infrastructure is a key factor in the economic development of a nation. India is considered an
emerging economic super power, along with China. Indian ports in particular are under
tremendous burden of increased imports and exports in the last few years. The result is frequent
reports of port congestion, delays in the shipment of export consignments and consequent loss of
credibility in the overseas markets. Efficient and well equipped ports will help to take to the right
place in the world economy. The maritime transport falls under the “concurrent list” of the
constitution and thus is to be administered by both the Central and the State governments.

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