Inland container depot
Also called: Dry port · Topic: Transport and Communication in India · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
An inland container depot (ICD), also called a dry port, is a cargo terminal far from the sea that is linked to a seaport by rail or road. Customs checks are done there, and goods are packed into containers (large standard steel boxes). The sealed containers then go straight to the port and onto ships. ICDs bring port services to traders deep inside the country, which saves time and cost. They also serve landlocked neighbours (countries with no coastline) such as Nepal and Bhutan.
Example
The ICD at Tughlakabad in Delhi clears and packs cargo for traders in north India. The containers then travel by rail to the western ports for shipping abroad.
Don't confuse with
- Transshipment port: a deep seaport where very large ships drop containers for smaller ships to carry onward, such as Vizhinjam in Kerala. An ICD is inland and has no ships at all.
Related concepts
- Sea routes
- Sagarmala Programme
- Mundra port
- Vizhinjam International Seaport
- Vadhavan port
- Great Nicobar Project