Question

Which of the following is the oldest artificial port on the east coast?
A. Mangalore
B. Mumbai
C. Chennai
D. Khandala

Answer 1

Hint:This area has been of significance since the times of the Chola Empire. This port started as a small fishing village and was used by East India Company for trade and commerce in the area, which came to prominence during the early 1800s.

Complete answer:
An artificial harbor was created in an area of 80 hectares near the coast due to the unavailability of a natural harbor. This port started as a little fishing village which was called Chenna Patnam back then. It was founded in 1639. Initially, East India Company’s ships used to anchor offshore and the cargo was transported through small boats. The loss of cargo was high during this transportation, so it was planned to build a pier to berth larger vessels. Chennai does not possess any natural harbor. Until the year 1875, this port was simply an open roadstead on an open sandy coast and got swept by storms and heavy monsoons. Siltation was a big problem back then, so Sir Francis Spring, the then Chairman of Port Trust created the north-eastern entrance in 1904 after closing the original eastern entrance. Further berths were created in the phased expansion of this port. Chennai Port is 3rd oldest port in India. It serves mainly as a container port and ranks second in India just after the container port of Mumbai. It is the largest port in the Bay of Bengal. This port is the main factor in the industrialization of Tamil Nadu.

Thus, option (C) is correct.

Note:The present name of Chennai was officially given to it in 1996, on the lines of its first name. British named it Madras.