THIRUVANANTHA[URAM: The Madras High Court has stayed the order of the Tamil Nadu government which could significantly affect the progress of the construction of the Vizhinjam International Port. The court has stopped the process of restricting the delivery of stone and sand from Tamil Nadu required for port construction.

The Tamil Nadu Transport Commissioner has issued an order imposing restrictions since August. The order states that lorries above 10 wheels should not be used to bring stone and sand. The conditions in the order of the Tamil Nadu government were that the lorry could carry a maximum weight of 28,000 kg. With this, lorries above 10 tyres cannot come with load to Kerala through Kanyakumari. There are more than 20 quarries in Kanyakumari district but only seven are working. No transportation of goods from working quarries to other districts is allowed. Stones are currently brought to Kerala from Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts.

The court took a decisive stand even before it became clear that the construction activities would be significantly affected due to the regulation. The State Ports Minister had earlier discussed the matter with the Tamil Nadu government.