Karaikal port facts for kids
Karaikal Port is a special kind of port located in Karaikal, Puducherry, India. It's called a "private" port because it's owned and run by a company called MARG Limited, not the government. This company, based in Chennai, started building the port in 2005. The port first opened and began operations in April 2009.
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What Does Karaikal Port Do?
How it Started
The idea for Karaikal Port began in 2005. It was built by a company called MARG Limited. This company is from Chennai, a big city in India. The port officially started working in April 2009.
What the Port Handles
Karaikal Port is a busy place! It handles many different kinds of goods, which are also called "cargo." So far, the port has moved things like:
- Coal
- Petroleum coke (a product from oil)
- Raw sugar
- Fertilizer (used for plants)
- Cement
- Materials for big building projects
- Other construction materials
Soon, the port will also be able to handle large containers and liquid cargo, like oil. When it's fully finished, Karaikal Port will be able to manage almost any type of cargo.
A Hub for Oil Exploration
This port is also very important for finding oil. It acts as a central point for companies that explore for oil in the sea. Companies like Hindustan Oil Exploration Company (HOEC) and Reliance Petroleum often use Karaikal Port for their activities.
Deep Waters for Big Ships
Karaikal Port is known as a "deep draft" port. This means the water near the docks is very deep. This is important because it allows very large ships to come and go easily. It's also an "all-weather" port, which means ships can use it safely even when the weather is bad.
The water depth at Karaikal Port is about 14.5 meters (about 47 feet). This deep water lets huge ships, known as "Gearless Panamax size ships," dock there. These ships can carry a lot of cargo, sometimes up to 80,000 metric tons!
