John B Monteiro
Mangaluru, Sep 1: New Mangalore Port deservedly comes into media focus because of establishing new records in its operations. But not so Old Mangalore Port at Bunder which had gone out of public view like the non-lactating first wife withdrawing to the anonymity of the kitchen, leaving the second young, glamorous wife to adorn the drawing room and hog the limelight. But, the old port has now got some Viagra injection, courtesy Lakshadweep Islands in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Government of Karnataka and Union Territory of Lakshadweep in Mangaluru on August 26, 2015. But, first the facts and background.
The MOU signed by R Mohan, Director of Ports, Karrnataka and Karanjit Vadodaria, his counterpart in Lakshadweep, provides for the construction dedicated jetty for Lakshadweep at a cost of Rs 60 crores, financed by the Union Territory and constructed by Karnataka. It involves a 300-metre long wharf for cargo and passenger vessels, waiting lounge with amenities for passengers, a godown, dredging of the channel up to 7 metres draft and other ancillary works. This will infuse new life into the old port which has (now forgotten) history of its own.
Before New Mangalore Port became functional in 1980, Mangalore Port was an important sea link with a large staff and a busy Customs House located across the road from the Port Office – which is off the wharf. The Port’s staff has now shrunk to 24 employees while the ghost of a Customs House has only a token presence of one inspector. Mangalore Port’s ancestry goes back to Tippu Sultan’s time. Till 1954, it came under Madras Province and then under Mysore State. The Port Trust Board managed its affairs till 1979 – eve of New Mangalore Port commencing business. Now it is managed by a Port Officer under Karnataka State Ports and Inland Water Transport Department.
Before the New Mangalore Port came on the scene, Mangalore Port was an anchorage port. Large ships anchored on the high seas, about 5/6 KM from the coast depending on their size and tonnage. Lighters or smaller tonnage boats transshipped men and materials using the two wharves of the port – 900-metre North Wharf and 225-metre South Wharf. For many decades two passenger ships of Scindia Steam Navigation Company provided regular service between Mangalore and Mumbai. This was well patronised in the era when railway via Kadur was the only other link to Mumbai. Taxis, luxury buses, planes and Konkan Railway came in much later.
The Port Office complex is located between the two wharves. The port has covered and open storage and loading and unloading tackle. Labour contractors and port agents use these facilities. The port provides safe anchorage for vessels in the lagoon or backwaters 5 KM long and 700 metres wide, separated by a sand pit with an average width of 300 metres. It is a seasonal port not being functioning from May to September 15.
Mangalore Port handles coastal trade dominated by sailing vessels. The bulk of the boats are in the range of 100 / 300 tonnes. There are also coastal ships, specially those carrying pig iron, which have a tonnage of nearly 2000. Pig iron is accessed from the Kudremukh Plant at Kulur to destinations in Gujarat. Though such cargo can be shipped from New Mangalore Port in larger vessels, such ships cannot go upriver for unloading at destinations. The main cargo coming into the port is soda ash and cement, also from Gujarat. About 500 mechanised and non-mechanised vessels are registered with Old Mangalore Port. In 1971/72 it handled about 500,000 tonnes of import/export cargo which has declined since the commencement of New Mangalore Port. In 2014/15 it handled 12,000 tonnes of imports and1,16,000 exports with a revenue earnings of Rs 2.58 crores. Thus, Old Mangalore Port is more than a relic of a bygone era. It soldiers on to play an important role in sustaining coastal trade.
There is an interesting episode regarding Old Mangalore Port dating back to mid-1970s. With New Mangalore Port on the anvil, the question of merging Old Mangalore Port with it cropped up. More than that, there was a move to rename it as “Kudla”. The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry opposed this move. Even the Mangalore Port Trust Board, an autonomous body constituted under the Mangalore Port Trust Act, 1953, in its meeting on April 24, 1974 passed a unanimous resolution which said: “The Board very strongly feels that the name of the Mangalore Minor Port under no circumstances be changed. The proposed name of “Kudla” is not at all acceptable to Mangalore Port Trust Board under any circumstances Government can give any name it feels to the new Harbour which is coming up at Panambur. The proposed name of the major port as “ New Mangalore Port” will not come in the way of the present name of the ‘Mangalore Minor Port’” The rest is history as the port retained its name.
Now, to Lakshadweep to which Old Mangalore port had been providing a sea link for supplying provisions sourced from Mangaluru from the time of the British Raj. Lakshadweep, formerly known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Aminidiv, is a group of islands in the Laccadiv Sea, 200 to 440 kilometres off the south western coast of India. The archipelago is a Union Territory and is governed by the Government of India. The islands form the smallest Union Territory of India: their total surface area is just 32 square kilometres The lagoon area covers about 4,200 square kilometres, the territorial waters area 20,000 square kilometres and the exclusive economic zone area 400,000 square kilometres. The region forms a single Indian district with ten sub divisions. Kavaratti serves as the capital of the Union Territory.
Ten of the islands are inhabited. At the 2011 census the population of the Union Territory was 64,473. The majority of the indigenous population is Muslim. The islanders are ethnically similar to the Malayali people of the nearest Indian State of Kerala. The islands are served by an airport on the Agatti island. Seven passenger ships operate between Cochin and Lakshadweep taking about 14/20 hours for the voyage. A one million per day barge-mounted desalination plant is the main source of potable water. The main occupation of the people is fishing and coconut cultivation, with tuna being the main item of export. Now it is a tourist destination. Its provisions come from the mainland, including Mangaluru.
Lakshadweep’s imports into Mangaluru are mainly copra. Exports from Mangalore include construction materials, foodstuff and stationary items. Three/four sail-boats leave Mangaluru each day and cover the 400/500 nautical miles distance in 24/36 hours depending the destination island – the closest being Androth island. These link boats can be used only by the islanders. Mainland tourist, including from Mangaluru, have to go via Cochin from where seven ships operate – apart from air connectivity. According to Mohammed Faisal, Lakshadweep’s MP, who was present at the MOU signing, there are moves to accelerate tourism, including Issuing online permits for prospective visitors and prospects of visitors directly sailing from Mangalore. But, that is another story for another time.
Veteran journalist and author, John B Monteiro now concentrates on Editorial Consultancy, having recently edited the autobiography of a senior advocate, history and souvenir to mark the centenary of Catholic Association of South Kanara and currently working on the history/souvenir to mark the platinum jubilee of Kanara Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He is also Editorial Consultant and content provider for Vishal Jagriti, the English monthly of All India Catholic Union, now published from Mangaluru.