SHIPS AND MAJOR
PORT ACTIVITIES
MEANING OF MAJOR PORT
ACTIVITIES
Major Ports are defined in Section 3(8) of the Indian Ports Act 1908
to mean any port which the Central Government may by notification
in the Official Gazette declare, or may under any law for the time
being in force have declared, to be a major port.
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or
loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers.
Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be
found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manchester and Duluth; these
access the sea via rivers or canals. Because of their roles as ports of
entry for immigrants as well as soldiers in wartime, many port cities
have experienced dramatic multi-ethnic and multicultural changes
throughout their histories
TYPES OF PORT:
The terms "port" and "seaport" are used for different types of
facilities handling ocean-going vessels, and river port is used for
river traffic, such as barges and other shallow-draft vessels.
Seaport
A seaport is a port located on the shore of a sea or ocean. It is further
categorized as a "cruise port" or a "cargo port".[citation needed]
Additionally, "cruise ports" are also known as a "home port" or a "port
of call". The "cargo port" is also further categorized into a "bulk" or
"break bulk port" or as a "container port".
CARGO PORT
Cargo ports are quite different from cruise ports,
because each handles very different cargo, which has
to be loaded and unloaded by a variety of mechanical
means
Bulk cargo ports
Bulk cargo ports may handle one particular type of cargo or
numerous cargoes, such as grains, liquid fuels, liquid chemicals,
wood, automobiles, etc. Such ports are known as the "bulk" or
"break bulk ports".
Cruise home port
A cruise home port is the port where cruise ship passengers board (or embark) to start their
cruise and disembark the cruise ship at the end of their cruise. It is also where the cruise
ship's supplies are loaded for the cruise, which includes everything from fresh water and
fuel to fruits, vegetables, champagne, and any other supplies needed for the cruise. "Cruise
home ports" are very busy places during the day the cruise ship is in port, because off-
going passengers debark their baggage and on-coming passengers board the ship in
addition to all the supplies being loaded. Cruise home ports tend to have large passenger
terminals to handle the large number of passengers passing through the port. The busiest
cruise home port in the world is the Port of Miami, Florida
Dry port
A dry port is an inland intermodal terminal directly connected
by road or rail to a seaport and operating as a centre for the
transhipment of sea cargo to inland destinations
SHIPPING
According to the Ministry of Shipping, around 95% of India's trading by volume and 70%
by value is done through maritime transport. In November 2020, the Prime Minister, Mr.
Narendra Modi renamed the Ministry of Shipping as the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and
Waterways.
India has 12 major and 205 notified minor and intermediate ports. Under the National
Perspective Plan for Sagarmala, six new mega ports will be developed in the country. The
Indian ports and shipping industry play a vital role in sustaining growth in the country’s
trade and commerce. India is the sixteenth-largest maritime country in the world with a
coastline of about 7,517 kms. The Indian Government plays an important role in supporting
the ports sector. It has allowed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of up to 100% under the
automatic route for port and harbour construction and maintenance projects. It has also
facilitated a 10-year tax holiday to enterprises that develop, maintain and operate ports,
inland waterways and inland ports.
TYPES OF SHIPS
1. Container Ships
As the name suggests, a vessel structured specifically to hold
huge quantities of cargo compacted in different types of
containers is referred to as a container vessel (ship
Bulk Carrier Ships
Bulkcarriers are a type of ship which transports
cargoes (generally dry cargo) in bulk quantities. The
cargo transported in such ships is loose cargo, i.e.
without any specific packaging and generally contains
items like food grains, ores and coals and even cement.
Fishing Vessels
Fishing vessels are mainly classified into two types – trawlers and non-trawling vessels.
• Trawlers, Purse Seiners: A fishing trawler, also known as a dragger, is a commercial
fishing vessel designed to operate fishing trawls. Trawling is a method of fishing that involves
actively dragging or pulling a trawl through the water behind one or more trawlers. A purse
seine is a large wall of netting deployed around an entire area or school of fish. The seine has
floats along the top line with a lead line threaded through rings along the bottom. Once a
school of fish is located, a skiff encircles the school with the net.
• Factory Ships: A factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-
going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish or
whales
Tanker Ships
Tanker ships are specialised vessels for carrying a large amount of liquid cargo.
Tankers are further sub-divided into different types based on the cargo they carry.
Speciality Vessels
Speciality vessels are constructed and used for specific purposes
Tugs: A tug (tugboat) is a boat or ship that manoeuvres vessels by pushing or towing them.
Tenders – A boat or a larger ship used to service or support other boats or ships, generally to
transport people and/or supplies, is called a tender vessel.
Pilot Crafts – Pilot crafts are used for the transportation of harbour pilots.
Cable Layers – Cable laying vessels help in laying cables onto the sea bed.
Research Vessels – They are special types of vessels used to carry out a variety of research at sea.
Some of the most common types of research vessels are – seismic vessels, hydrographic vessels,
oceanographic vessels, polar vessels etc.