Cochin Port - History

History

The Cochin port was formed naturally due the great floods of Periyar in 1341 AD, which choked the Muziris port (North Paravur), one of the greatest ports in ancient world. Ever since, Cochin became one of the major ports with extensive trading relations Romans, Greeks and Arabs, all lured by the traditional spice wealth of the state. The port further attracted European colonialists like Portuguese, Dutch and finally British who extended their supremacy over Kochi Kingdom and the port city of Fort Kochi. The traditional port was near Mattancherry (which still continues as Mattancherry Wharf).

The need of a modern port was first felt by Lord Willingdon during his governorship of Madras Province of British India. The opening of the Suez Canal made several ships pass near the west coast and he felt the necessity of modern port in the southern part. He selected the newly joined Sir Robert Bristow who was a leading British harbor engineer with extensive experience with maintenance of the Suez Canal. Bristow took the charge of chief engineer of Kochi Kingdom's Port Department in 1920. Ever since then, he and his team were actively involved in making a greenfield port. After studying the sea currents, observing tidal conditions and conducting experiments, he was convinced about the feasibility of developing Cochin. He believed that Cochin could become the safest harbour if the ships entered the inner channel.

The challenge before the engineers was a rock-like sandbar that stood across the opening of the Cochin backwaters into the sea. It was a formidable ridge of heavy and densely packed sand that prevented the entry of all ships requiring more than eight or nine feet of water. It was thought that the removal of the sandbar was a technical impossibility. The potential consequence on the environment was beyond estimation. The harm could be anything like the destruction of the Vypeen foreshore or the destruction of the Vembanad lake.

Bristow, after a detailed study, concluded that such data was history. He addressed the immediate problem of erosion of the Vypeen foreshore by building of rubble granite groynes nearly parallel with the shores and overlapping each other. The groynes first produced an automatic reclamation which naturally protected the shore from the monsoon seas. Confident at the initial success, Bristow planned out a detailed proposal of reclaiming part of the backwaters at a cost of Rs. 2.5 crores. An ad-hoc committee appointed by the Madras government examined and approved the plans submitted by Bristow.

The construction of the dredger 'Lord Willingdon' was completed in 1925. It arrived at Cochin in May 1926. It was estimated that the dredger had to be put to use for at least 20 hours a day for the next two years. The dredged sand was used to create a new island to house Cochin Port and other trade-related establishments. Around 3.2 km² of land was reclaimed in the dredging. The strong determination of Sir Bristow and his team was successful when the large steamship SS Padma, sailed into the newly constructed inner harbour of Kochi. Speaking to the BBC on that day, Bristow proudly proclaimed his achievements with the following words: "I live on a large Island made from the bottom of the sea. It is called Willingdon Island, after the present Viceroy of India. From the upper floor of my house, I look down on the finest harbour in the East."

In 1932, the Maritime Board of British India declared Port of Cochin as a major port. The port was opened to all vessels up to 30 feet draught. During the World War 2, the port was taken over by the Royal Navy to accommodate military cruisers and war ships. It was returned to civil authorities on May 19, 1945. After Independence, the port was taken over by the government of India. In 1964, the administration of the port got vested in a Board of Trustees under the Major Port Trusts Act. The port was listed as one of the 12 major ports of India.