Not just a transshipment port

The Vizhinjam Conclave, which outlined the future development possibilities of the Vizhinjam International Port, concluded on Wednesday. There were no contrarian views as most experts came in congruence to predict Vizhinjam becoming the best port in South Asia in the next ten years. Vizhinjam’s transformation to a port capable of handling almost 250 containers a year is no small feat. Employing the most modern machinery, Vizhinjam will multiply Kerala's potential in the global trade and commerce sector.

The potential to unleash a state that dreams of a trillion-dollar economy will be immense. Many small and big industries will be born in connection with the port. The port will also open doors for employment while investment will flow even from abroad. It is great to see Vizhinjam's prospects booming soon, but there are still gaps to be filled. A lot of infrastructure still needs to be perfected for the port to thrive.

At present Vizhinjam is only a transshipment port. That is, containers brought here from foreign countries are unloaded on huge motherships and then loaded onto smaller ships and transported to various ports. But if the potential of the port is to be utilized fully, the port needs to be developed to handle the large volume of commercial and trade products. A big time necessary need is the betterment of the road and rail transport system connecting Vizhinjam port.

Vizhinjam Port is almost nearing its inauguration date but still, there is no news on the railway line mapping. This should have been done early. It is nobody’s guess how much time the project will take if it is to start now. The same is the case with the road. Although the national highway is nearer, a new highway will have to be constructed for wider connectivity. The extension of the proposed Sabari project to Vizhinjam will open up huge development potential for Vizhinjam Port.

Similarly, many industries could spring up along the new roads and in connection with the port. The government needs to have a broad vision to foresee all this. If it is extended to Vizhinjam, the movement of goods from Vizhinjam to Shornur will be facilitated.

The idea to reap profit by shipping the containers arriving at Vizhinjam to other ports is a bit skewed. The aim should be to develop it as a full-fledged port.