Parādīp Garh, India

History

During the early 17th century, Paradip and its adjoining areas were connected to Cuttack through the Mahanadi river and its branches. Goods were transported to Cuttack from rural areas via the Brahmani and Dhamra rivers, although this was gradually discontinued due to silting of the river bed.

In 1819, the British constructed a harbour called False Point, north of the present site of Paradip. In 1862, the East India Irrigation Company explored the potential of Paradip for the transportation of rice from the area. The importance of Paradip grew during the great famine of 1866 when it was used as the main entry point for importing food materials into the famine-struck area.

During the early post-independence period, a minor port came into existence at Paradip in 1958 through the efforts of the State Government. Subsequently, the Government decided to construct a major port there. The foundation stone for Paradip Port was laid on 3 January 1962 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, then Prime Minister of India. On completion in 1965, the port was taken over by the Government of India and was declared open on 12 March 1966. Paradip Port was declared the eighth major port of India and the first major deep sea port on the east coast commissioned after independence. The Paradip Port Trust came into being in 1967 for the development and management of the Port.

From the History section of Paradeep on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.