Which port is India’s first tidal port?

The correct option is Kandla.

Explanation

A tidal port is a port where the water levels within the harbor fluctuate significantly with the ocean tides. In such ports, the timing of vessel entry and exit is often dependent on high tide conditions to ensure sufficient water depth.

Analysis of Options:

• Kandla (Correct): Located at the eastern end of the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat, Kandla is India’s first tidal port. It was constructed in the 1950s as the first major port of independent India. Its primary objective was to offset the loss of the Karachi port to Pakistan following Partition and to decongest the Mumbai port. It has been renamed Deendayal Port.
• Chennai: This is an artificial harbor and one of the oldest major ports on the east coast, but it is not characterized as a tidal port.
• Mumbai: This is a natural deep-water harbor and the largest port in India.
• Kochi: This is a natural harbor located on the southwest coast, situated in the Vembanad Lake.

Key Takeaway:
Kandla (Deendayal Port) is India's first tidal port and a designated Free Trade Zone, developed to serve the northern and western hinterlands of India after the loss of Karachi.