Consider the following statements with reference to location of Major Ports in India : 1. Deendayal Port is situated at the head of Gulf of Khambhat. 2. Cochin Port is situated at the head of Vembanad Kayal. 3. Mormugao Port is situated at the entrance of the Zuari estuary. 4. Paradip Port is situated in the Godavari delta. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

Statement 1 is incorrect because Deendayal Port (Kandla) is situated at the head of the Gulf of Kutch, not the Gulf of Khambhat [3]. Statement 2 is correct as Cochin Port is located at the head of Vembanad Kayal (Vembanad Lake) and is a natural harbour [5]. Statement 3 is correct; Mormugao Port in Goa is situated at the entrance of the Zuari estuary [5]. Statement 4 is incorrect because Paradip Port is located in the Mahanadi delta in Odisha, whereas the Godavari delta is further south in Andhra Pradesh. Therefore, only statements 2 and 3 are accurate regarding the geographical locations of these major Indian ports. Deendayal Port serves the northwestern hinterland, while Cochin is strategically positioned near the Suez-Colombo route [4].

Sources

1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > Explanation: > p. 508
2. [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Ports > p. 19
3. [3] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: International Trade > Can you find out the reasons for the variations in the location of ports along the two coasts? > p. 90
4. [4] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: International Trade > Can you find out the reasons for the variations in the location of ports along the two coasts? > p. 92
5. [5] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Structure and Physiography > The Coastal Plains > p. 14