PM to dedicate Vizhinjam Port, Kerala's dream project to nation on May 2

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The commissioning of Kerala's dream project, Vizhinjam Port, will be on May 2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the port to the nation. The port authorities received a notification in this regard from the Prime Minister's Office. Vizhinjam is being commissioned as the country's first transshipment container port.

No central approvals are required for the commissioning of the port. All the world's largest ships have arrived in Vizhinjam. Therefore, commissioning can be done without any technical inspections. The central viability gap fund of Rs 817.8 crore will be available only after the commissioning. The state will start receiving income ten years after commissioning.

The center's environmental clearance has been received for the construction of the next phases of the port. Land for the second phase of development will be acquired by reclaiming the sea. The container terminal will be extended by 1,200 meters to 2,000 meters. Dredging will reclaim 77.17 hectares of land, which is required to build a container yard with an annual capacity of up to 30 lakh containers. In the first phase, 63 hectares of land were reclaimed from the sea. The state spent 4600 crores in the first phase, which cost 7700 crores. The government also provided 1350 crores for tetrapod. 1482.92 crores will be spent on the railway for freight movement.