Question map
Which one of the following is the only riverine major port in India?
Explanation
Kolkata Port, officially known as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, is the only major riverine port in India [2]. Unlike other major ports that are situated directly on the coastline, Kolkata Port is located approximately 203 km inland on the banks of the Hooghly River, a distributary of the Ganges [2]. It is a tidal port that requires constant dredging due to silt accumulation in the river [3]. The port serves a vast hinterland including West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and land-locked neighboring countries like Nepal and Bhutan [3]. While other options like Mormugao, Deendayal (Kandla), and Paradip are major ports, they are coastal ports; Deendayal is a tidal port in the Gulf of Kutch [1], and Paradip is a deep-water natural port at the confluence of the Mahanadi river and the Bay of Bengal.
Sources
- [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Ports > p. 20
- [3] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: International Trade > Can you find out the reasons for the variations in the location of ports along the two coasts? > p. 92
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > Explanation: > p. 508