📌 Topic 04 of 6 · Chapter 09 · Transport, Communication & Trade
Waterways & Major Ports of India
JNPT, Mundra, Visakhapatnam, Sagarmala project — complete notes for UPSC & PSC exams.
🚢 Major Ports of India
| Port | State | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port) | Maharashtra | Largest container port; handles ~55% of container traffic; also called Nhava Sheva |
| Mundra Port | Gujarat | Largest port by cargo volume; private (Adani Group) |
| Kandla Port | Gujarat | Largest major port by cargo; free trade zone; first SEZ |
| Mumbai Port | Maharashtra | Natural harbour; handles petroleum products |
| Chennai Port | Tamil Nadu | Oldest artificial port; 2nd largest container port |
| Visakhapatnam Port | Andhra Pradesh | Deepest landlocked port; largest iron ore exporter |
| Kolkata Port | West Bengal | Oldest port; riverine port on Hooghly; includes Haldia dock |
| Kochi Port | Kerala | Natural harbour; handles spices, petroleum |
| Paradip Port | Odisha | Major port; handles iron ore, coal |
| Ennore Port | Tamil Nadu | First corporate port in India; near Chennai |
🚢 Inland Waterways
- India has 111 National Waterways (NW Act 2016)
- IWAI (Inland Waterways Authority of India) — established 1986
- NW-1 = Ganga (Allahabad to Haldia) = 1,620 km = longest
- NW-3 = Kerala backwaters = most developed
- Sagarmala Project = 2015 = port-led development = 600+ projects
⭐ Key Facts — Ports:
• JNPT = largest container port = Maharashtra
• Mundra = largest by cargo volume = Gujarat = private (Adani)
• Visakhapatnam = deepest landlocked port
• Kolkata = oldest port in India (riverine)
• Chennai = oldest artificial port in India
• JNPT = largest container port = Maharashtra
• Mundra = largest by cargo volume = Gujarat = private (Adani)
• Visakhapatnam = deepest landlocked port
• Kolkata = oldest port in India (riverine)
• Chennai = oldest artificial port in India