After the 1819 earthquake flattened the Lakhpat port in Kutch, the then British Raj shifted its west coast operations to Karachi, and developed it into a major port in the Indian sub-continent.

It was then believed that no other permanent port would be set up in Gujarat due to its seismic sensitivity.

However, post-1947, Gujarat has seen the emergence of Kandla as a major port on the west coast, off the Gulf of Kutch.

Steps are now under way to develop a mammoth logistics park to take advantage of the proposed Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, where 40 per cent of the main artery will pass through Gujarat.

Kandla

Kandla port has recently invited expressions of interest for the logistics park, says Mr M.A. Bhaskarachar, Deputy Chairman.

According to him, the detailed planning for the new project will soon be carried out. Kandla port is also investing Rs 1,848 crore to expand capacities. In the 1990s, when the Centre had kicked off economic reforms and invited the private sector to play a larger role in the growth process, the Adani Group set up the Mundra port in Kutch district, next to Kandla.

Mundra

Today, Mundra and SEZ Ltd has emerged the country's top private multi-port operator.

Early this month, it handled a record 1,11,699 tonnes of steam coal in just 24 hours, which was an India-best performance till date. The company's coal import terminal at Dahej, in Bharuch district, has also been connected by railways, a move that will help reduce logistics costs for transporting coal to the region and the rest of India.

Coal Handling

Mundra port's West Basin terminal, Asia's largest coal import facility, surpassed Krishnapattinam port's national record of best coal discharge performance of 1,06,171 tonnes in July 2011 and improved its own record of 95,000 tonnes in June 2011.

These capacities are being expanded, said Dr Malay Mahadevia, Whole-Time Director, MPSEZL, recently.

In November, Mundra Port also delivered a record 62,718 tonnes of coal on a single day to Adani Power.

The port will import coal for Tata Power's 4,000 MW power plant that is nearing completion. Together, Adani Power and Tata Power have a capacity of 8,620 MW and will require an import of three million tonnes of coal annually in the near future. Clearly, these two major ports, Kandla and Mundra, are among the leading change-agents in the economy.

Gujarat Maritime Board

But these are not the only players in Gujarat, as far as ports are concerned. Pipavav is also emerging as the third major force. The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), the ports regulator, had identified 48 ports.

In 2010-11, the State's ports handled 231 million tonnes of cargo, which was nearly 80 per cent of all cargo handled by minor ports in India.

At present, GMB operates 14 ports in Gujarat and proposes to operate five more in the near future.

GMB came into existence in 1981 and the State Government now has a policy for port-led development across the 1,600-km coastline.

This is triggering a wave of development on this stretch where major infrastructure projects, including power plants, are in the pipeline across Gujarat.

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