Tuna Port is a port town in Anjar

taluka A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

of Kutch district of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

History

Tuna Port was developed during mid-eighteenth century. Fateh Mohammad (1786–1813), a shepherd-turned-king, had further developed the existing facilities at Mandvi, Tuna and Lakhpat ports, when he was appointed as regent during reign of Rao Raydhanji III of Kutch. There is a village by same name Tuna near the port from which Tuna Port got its name. Bombay Prov north 1909

In year 1900-01 during the reign of

Jadeja The Jadeja (also spelled Jarejo) (Gujarati: ) is a Rajput clan that inhabits the Indian state of Gujarat. They claim to be descended from the legendary Jamshed of Iran. They also claim descent from Krishna. They originated from pastoral communit ...

King Maharao Shri Khengarji Bawa (1875–1942), the first railway lines from Tuna Port to Anjar were laid by narrow gauge line of

Cutch State Railway Cutch State Railway (CSR) was an isolated narrow gauge railway in Cutch State, one of the princely states allied to Britain in India. History The railway was financed by the Maharao Khengarji Bawa of Cutch State. The laying of first rails st ...

,a railway promoted & owned by the

Princely State of Cutch Cutch, also spelled Kutch or Kachchh and also historically known as the Kingdom of Kutch, was a kingdom in the Kutch region from 1147 to 1819 and a princely state under British rule from 1819 to 1947. Its territories covered the present day K ...

. The first train from Tuna Port to Anjar ran in year 1905. The line was in 1908 extended to

Bhuj Bhuj () is a Municipality and District Headquarters of Kutch District in the state of Gujarat, India. Etymology According to legend, Kutch was ruled by the Nāga chieftains in the past. Sagai, a queen of Sheshapattana, who was married to Kin ...

, then the Capital of the Princely State of Cutch. This rail-line from Tuna to Anjar, no longer exists. However, there are plans to again revive the railway link again. Later, during decade of 1930, Tuna Port lost its importance, when Maharao Shri Khengarji III of Kutch, identified the location of present the Kandla Port and developed it as a new port. A new railway line connecting Anjar to Kandla were also laid by Cutch State Railway. After the partition and independence of India and merger of Cutch into Union of India in 1947, in 1950 Kandla Port was selected by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

to be developed as major port to replace the loss of

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

, which went to

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. The Kandla Railway Station was later renamed

Gandhidham Gandhidham, initially known as Sardarganj, is the largest and most populous city in Kutch District, Gujarat, India. It was created in the early 1950s for the resettlement of Sindhi Hindu refugees from Sindh (now in Pakistan) in the aftermath ...

after the new town of same name was developed for the re-settlement of Sindhi refugees, who migrated from Pakistan upon Partition.

Present day

Tuna Port is operated by the Kandla Port Trust. The Trust decided to develop Tuna as satellite port in Kutch as to compete with nearby privately owned

Mundra Port Mundra Port is the largest private port of India located on the north shores of the Gulf of Kutch near Mundra, Kutch district, Gujarat. Formerly operated by Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Limited (MPSEZ) owned by Adani Group, it was late ...

operated by

Adani Group Adani Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate, headquartered in Ahmedabad. It was founded by Gautam Adani in 1988 as a commodity trading business, with the flagship company Adani Enterprises. The Group's diverse businesses include po ...

. This is the second port after Vadinar Port to be developed by Kandla Port Trust.Tuna Port, which is under the control of Kandla Port Trust (KPT), will be developed as Satellite Port in Gujarat. This will be the second port, after the Vadinar Port, to be developed by KPT in Gujarat
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Connectivity

The nearest Airport is Kandla Airport and Rail-head is

References

{{Reflist
Location of Tuna Port on Wikimap
Cities and towns in Kutch district Ports and harbours of Gujarat History of Kutch Tourist attractions in Kutch district