Ports in India
India has a long coastline, spanning 7600 kilometres, forming one of the biggest peninsulas in the world. It is serviced by 13 major ports (12 government and 1 corporate) and 187 notified minor and intermediate ports.[1] The latest addition to major ports is Port Blair on June 2010, the 13th port in the country.[2]
Major ports handled over 74% of all cargo traffic in 2007. However, the words "major", "intermediate" and "minor", do not have a strict association with the traffic volumes served by these ports. As an example, Mundra Port, a newly developed minor port in the state of Gujarat registered a cargo traffic of around 28.8 million tonnes per annum during the financial year of 2008, which is higher than that of many major ports.[citation needed]
The classification of Indian ports into major, minor and intermediate has an administrative significance. Indian government has a federal structure, and according to its constitution, maritime transport falls under the "concurrent list", to be administered by both the Central and the State governments. While the Central Shipping Ministry administer the major ports, the minor and intermediate ports are administered by the relevant departments or ministries in the nine coastal states—West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Several of these 187 minor and intermediate ports are merely "notified"; little or no cargo handling actually takes place. These ports have been identified by the respective governments to be developed, in a phased manner, a good proportion of them involving public–private partnership.
Cargo handling is projected to grow at 7.7% until 2013-14.[3] Some 60% of India’s container traffic is handled by the Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Navi Mumbai.
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[edit] Major ports
There are also 7 shipyards under the control of the central government of India, 2 shipyards controlled by state governments, and 19 privately owned shipyards. The major ports handled 423.4 million tons of cargo for the financial year 2005-2006, with Vishakhapatnam, Kochi, Kolkata Port, Chennai Port and Kandla carrying the greatest tonnage. Major ports can collectively handle 400+ million tons of cargo annually, and port operations have improved since the mid-1990s. All major ports, except one (Ennore Port), are government administered, but private-sector participation in ports has increased.
[edit] Single Operator Container Terminal
On 16 February 2005, Dubai Ports World announced that it has formally signed an agreement with the CoPT to construct, develop and operate an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) – An India Gateway Terminal – at Vallarpadam.
Approval for the agreement was given by the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs of the Government of India, Ministry of Finance and meanwhile, the DP World will manage and subsequently transfer its operations at the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal in Cochin Port to the new terminal upon its completion. The DP World has been granted a 38-year concession for the exclusive operation and management of the site. Vallarpadam Terminal is the largest single operator container terminal in India and the first in the country to operate in a special economic zone. The terminal makes Kochi a key centre in the shipping world reducing India ’s dependence on foreign ports to handle transshipment.
- In the first phase there will be 600 m Quay length and a draft of more than 15 m , when the terminal may handle 1 million TEU container annually by the end of 2012.
- In the second phase the capacity will be enhanced to 3 million TEU's by the end of 2014.
- In the third phase the terminal may handle even up to 5.5 million TEU's.
The total cost of the project is estimated at 
3200 crore .
DP World has estimated that the total initial investment required will be approximately US$20 million which includes the immediate provision of four RTGs and two Mobile Harbour Cranes to the Terminal -to improve yard handling, truck turnaround time and quayside operations.
Strategically located on the main east-west global shipping lines and offering draft of about 16 m, Cochin is destined to develop as the premier gateway to southern India, as also offering an alternative to Sri Lanka and Singapore for containers being transshipped for the Indian market.
[edit] Handling
The following table gives the detailed data about the major ports of India for the financial year 2009-10 and percentage growth over 2008-09 (Source: Indian Ports Association):
| Name | Cargo Handled (2010) '000 tonnes | % Increase (over 2009) | Vessel Traffic (2009–10) | % Increase (over 2008-09) | Container Traffic (2009–10) '000 TEUs | % Increase (over 2008-09) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kolkata (Kolkata Dock System & Haldia Dock Complex) | 46,295 | -14.61% | 3,462 | 07.50% | 502 | 17.01% |
| Paradip | 57,011 | 22.84% | 1,531 | -0.32% | 4 | 100.00% |
| Visakhapatnam | 65,501 | 2.49% | 2,406 | 2.51% | 98 | 13.65% |
| Chennai | 61,057 | 6.20% | 2,131 | 2.5% | 1,216 | 6.38% |
| Tuticorin | 23,787 | 8.07% | 1,414 | -7.21% | 440 | 0.22% |
| Cochin | 17,429 | 14.45% | 872 | 15.19% | 290 | 11.11% |
| New Mangalore Port | 35,528 | -3.17% | 1,186 | 0.16% | 31 | 6.89% |
| Mormugao | 48,847 | 17.19% | 465 | 6.89% | 17 | 21.42% |
| Mumbai | 54,543 | 5.14% | 1,639 | 1.67% | 58 | -36.95% |
| J.N.P.T. | 60,746 | 6.03% | 3,096 | 4.13% | 4,062 | 2.78% |
| Ennore (corporate) | 10,703 | -6.93% | 273 | 9.2% | -- | -- |
| Kandla | 79,521 | 10.10% | 2,776 | 10.29% | 147 | 6.52% |
| All Indian Ports | 560,968 | 5.74% | 21,251 | 02.82% | 6,865 | 4.25% |
[edit] Recent developments
In 2000 there were 102 shipping companies operating in India, of which five were privately owned and based in India and one was owned by the government (Shipping Corporation of India). In 2000 there were 639 government-owned ships, including 91 oil tankers, 79 dry cargo bulk carriers, and 10 cellular container vessels. Indian-flagged vessels carried about 15 percent of overseas cargo at Indian ports for financial year 2003.
The Port Pipavav in Saurashtra, handled by APM terminals; developed by AFCONS is one of the most efficient Port functioning in India.
Port of Dhamara in Orissa was inaugurated in August 2010 which is 18 meter deep[4]) of India.[5] There are another 5 ports offing in Orissa.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Investment Commission of India , Government of India. "Structure and Policies of ports in India". http://www.investmentcommission.in/ports.htm. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ Business Standard (7 June 2010). "Port Blair declared as Major Port". http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/port-blair-declared-as-major-port/97059/on. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.livemint.com/2010/01/07213301/LampT-Tata-Steel-in-deal-fo.html
- ^ http://www.dhamraport.com/ataglance.asp
- ^ http://www.orissalinks.com/orissagrowth/topics/tnc-all/ports-and-waterways-in-orissa/gopalpur-port-under-constr
- "Library of Congress – Federal Research Division Country Profile: India,_December_2004)". Library of Congress Country Studies (All works are issued in Public domain. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/India.pdf. Retrieved 6 November 2007.
[edit] External links
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