Important rivers in this area, including the Kali, Belekeri, Gangavali, Aghanashini Sharavathi, Sharabi, Kollur, Gangolli, Sitanadi, Gurpur, and Netravati, flow into the Arabian Sea.
Sea erosion, the migration of river mouths, and siltation of ports and harbours are some of the common problems facing this region.
The minor ports are located at Karwar, Old Mangalore, Belekeri, Tadadi, Honnavar, Bhatkal, Kundapur, Hangarakatta, Malpe, and Padubidri.
The policy is based on the BOOST (Build-Own-Operate-Share and Transfer) concept and primarily aims to improve cargo handling capacity.
It is located in the Uttara Kannada district on the southern side of the Kali River and caters to the trading needs of northern Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
The port is situated beside National Highway 66 (NH66), which connects Mumbai and Kochi, making it one of the country's busiest corridors.
[1] Recently, the High Court of Karnataka directed the state government to stop all developmental activities being undertaken at Karwar Port under the Sagarmala project.
The backwaters of the Aghanashini River create a vast waterfront at this port, providing an opportunity to develop it with modern infrastructure.
This port is projected for development under the BOOST (Build, Own, Operate, Share, and Transfer) concept through private participation.
Tadadi Port has an effective hinterland of about 200,000 square meters, encompassing central and northern parts of Karnataka and some areas of Andhra Pradesh, which are rich in minerals, forests, agriculture, and marine resources.
There are discussions about developing Padubidri Port to handle coal required for the thermal power generating station being set up in the nearby village of Nandikur.