Prime Minister to dedicate Vizhinjam International Seaport to nation on May 2

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala's long, dreary wait will bear fruit on May 2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will commission the Vizhinjam Port to the nation at 11 am that day. Minister V.N. Vasavan said that he received a notification in this regard from the Prime Minister's Office.

Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will also be present. The ceremony will be held at a special venue set up at the port. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, ministers and prominent leaders will participate. The official program of the commissioning will be prepared soon.

The port began commercial operations last December. 5.36 lakh containers arrived in 263 ships so far. The world's largest container ship, MSC Turkey, also docked in Vizhinjam the other day. The port set a record in March by handling over 100,000 TEUS from 51 ships. Vizhinjam is already leading in cargo movement in South India.

The construction of the 1.7 km port road connecting the port to NH 66 is in the final stages. The approval of the National Highways Authority is awaited. Konkan Rail has been awarded a contract for the construction of a rail tunnel to the port.

• Phase 2 and 3 developments worth Rs 9600 crore will be completed by December 2028.

• Land for the second phase will be reclaimed from the sea. No private land will be acquired.

• 77.17 hectares of sea will be reclaimed for the yard with an annual capacity of 30 lakh containers.

• The container terminal will be extended by 1,200 meters, taking the total length to 2,000 meters.

• When all three phases are completed, the container capacity will increase to 4.5 million containers per year.