Vizhinjam port contributes ₹4.7 cr. to State’s exchequer during trial run period

Even before the scheduled commercial opening of the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala, the port has contributed around ₹4.7 crore as taxes to the State’s exchequer by facilitating the berthing of around 19 ships from July 11 to October 1, including the largest mother ship docked at an Indian port, during the trial run period of the port which began on July 12.

The port also handled around 60,503 TEU containers, which is around 10% of the total volume of the containers handled by the ports in South India during the trial period.

Among the ships that called at the port, the ultra large vessel titled MSC Claude Girardet sailing under the flag of Liberia and operated by the Swiss shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) was the biggest ever vessel to come to an Indian port with a container capacity of 24,166 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) and docking at the port successfully.

However, another mother vessel called MSC Anna with an overall length of 399.98 m and a whopping capacity of containers that docked at the port on September 27 discharged a record volume of containers of 10,330 TEU from a single vessel here, which is billed as the largest container transfers from a single ship in the country. The port concessionaire Adani Vizhinjam Ports Private Ltd (AVPPL) is hopeful of starting the full-fledged commercial operation of the port on December 3. 

Though the port has started to receive ships and transship containers from here to various ports within India and outside during the trial period, some crucial works remain to be completed. The approach road linking the port with the road network in the county is yet to be fully established, although the construction of the road is the responsibility of the concessionaire. Confusion regarding the design of the junction that links the approach road with NH 66 is delaying the road work, according to a reply by Port Minister V.N.Vasavan in the assembly.

The design approved by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is being revised by the authorities considering the traffic movements from the port and the Outer Ring Road (ORR). The new design suggested by the NHAI demands additional land acquisition. In addition, the work would be delayed further if the concessionaire goes ahead with a new design. Now, the State has submitted a proposal for ensuring temporary road connectivity with the port and NH until the permanent approach road and junction is constructed.

So is the case with the rail connectivity to the port. As per the agreement, the rail connectivity was to be established by May 2022. However, the port construction had failed to meet the deadline, delaying the port and allied works. Now, talks are under way between the State and the AVPPL as part of a new settlement agreement to fix the deadline for setting up the rail connectivity by December 2028.

Published - October 09, 2024 08:45 pm IST