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Proposed port at Vizhinjam brings cheer
Published on Thu, Aug 07, 2008 at 15:30, Updated at Thu, Aug 07, 2008 in 
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PORT OF THE FUTURE: To be constructed soon if it does not get caught in a tornado of controversies.
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Thiruvananthapuram The Union Defence Ministry clearance for the Vizhinjam port project in Kerala has brought cheer to the locals in the small seaside town.
The proposed port, when ready, will allow open access to Indian Navy ships and merchant ships too.
Briefly put, the Vizhinjam port can handle super tankers and the biggest container mother ships with ease.
Studies conducted at Vizhinjam have shown that there is a natural depth of up to 23 metres.
So, the port will require no dredging and will be built over 150 acres…lifting the hamlets of Kovalam and Vizhinjam to prosperity.
Kovalam (a tourist destination) beach is only 3kms away from Vizhinjam.
Victor, a fisherman who works on the seas just off Vizhinjam is worried that the proposal may get mired into controversy, just as many development plans do...and remain on paper.
“This has been our dreams for generations. Fishing alone will not help us or our children get anywhere in life. This port is now our future. We only hope that both, the Congress and the Communists do not play politics over and that the project will get commissioned on time,” he says with concern.
To be constructed at the estimated costs of Rs. 5,348 crores, the port only awaits clearance from central agencies like the Home Ministry, IB and RAW.
Once that is in place, a consortium led by Hyderabad-based Lanco Kondapalli Power Private Ltd, Lanco Infrastructure Limited will take over the work.
It will be assisted by the Malaysia-based Pembinaan Redzai Sdn Bhd takes up the implementation of the project in two phases.
Experts opine that it will be a hit with the navigators. Vizhinjam is a natural port, which is located close to the international ship route.
So it is expected that at least 50% of the nearly 20,000 ships that pass through the Suez Canal every year will anchor at Vizhinjam Port.
“This can actually act as an international hub also, because with the Sethusamudram project coming through it would be not be necessary for big ships to go around Sri Lanka and whatever has to go to the eastern side of India particularly, to Bangladesh, Thailand and Burma and so on,” says Secretary Ports, L Radhkrishnan.
So, come 2012 and the operational port will generate close to 5,000 direct and 1 lakh 25 thousand indirect jobs.
That's reason enough to say "Cheers".
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