| Kandla | |||
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| Country | India | ||
| State | Gujarat | ||
| District(s) | Kutch | ||
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) | ||
| Area |
• 3 metres (9.8 ft) |
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Kandla (Gujarati: કંડલા) is a seaport in Kutch District of Gujarat state in western India. Located on the Gulf of Kutch, it is one of major ports on west coast. Kandla was constructed in the 1950s as the chief seaport serving western India, after the partition of India from Pakistan left the port of Karachi in Pakistan.
The Port of Kandla is located on the Gulf of Kutch on the northwestern coast of India some 256 nautical miles southeast of the Port of Karachi in Pakistan and over 430 nautical miles north-northwest of the Port of Mumbai (Bombay). Located some 90 kilometers from the mouth of the Gulf of Kachchh on the Kandla Creek, the Port of Kandla was opened as a natural deep-water harbor in the 1930s to serve the hinterland of and beyond the state of Gujarat.
The British Royal India Navy first appraised the Kandla stream in 1851 for suitability as a port; however, they did not conduct a detailed survey until 1922. The Port of Kandla was created in 1931 with a single pier. After Indian independence in the late 1940s, the new government selected the Port of Kandla as a promising outlet to the Arabian Sea.
When the Port of Karachi was lost to Pakistan, maritime trade in the area shifted to the Port of Mumbai (formerly Bombay). Mumbai's facilities were soon strained beyond capacity. In early 1948, the Indian government created the West Coast Major Port Development Committee to study the feasibility of building a major seaport to replace the Port of Karachi that went to Pakistan during partitioning. The Committee recommended locating a port at Kandla.
In 1952, Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone for the new port on India's northwestern coast. The Port of Kandla was declared a major port in 1955. The Kandla Port Trust was created by law in 1963 to manage the new port.
The Port of Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ) was the first special economic zone to be established in India and in Asia. Established in 1965, the Port of Kandla SEZ is the biggest multiple-product SEZ in the country. Covering over 310 hectares, the special economic zone is just nine kilometers from the Port of Kandla. Today, the Port of Kandla is India's hub for exporting grains and importing oil. This self-sufficient port is one of the highest-earning ports in the country. Major imports entering the Port of Kandla are petroleum, chemicals, and iron and steel machinery, but it also handles salt, textiles, and grain.
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•Total Custom Bonded Port Area inside the custom fencing is 185 hectares. An additional 76.5 hectares is being developed shortly.
• Eleven Dry Cargo Berths in straight quay line in sheltered creek with a total length of 1987 meters.
• Six Oil jetties.
• One deep draft mooring & Four Cargo Moorings in the inner Harbor area for stream handling.
• Total Custom Bonded Port Area inside the custom fencing is 185 hectares. An additional 76.5 hectares is being developed shortly.
• Loading/Unloading facilities for barges available for stream handling.
• Seventy licensed private Barges available at competitive rates.
• Adequate storage capacities in both Dry and Liquid Areas.
• Standby Power to the extent of 2000 KV available for emergency operations.
• Well Developed Road Network directly connecting to National Highway and Railway Network connecting to the Broad Gauge Train Routes which is further being upgraded.
A tropical cyclone hit the port in 1998. The official death toll was 1,000 but locals in the area believed it was closer to 10,000. Most of the casualties came from illegal immigrant workers in the port itself and poor shanty towns in the region. Although the cyclone was tracked by the Indian government for 3-4 nights no effort was made to warn port employees this catastrophe shows a failure of government and business ethics and a complete disregard for the life of the poor.