Kerala's flagship Vizhinjam port to be delayed further

Kerala's major infrastructure project Vizhinjam international container transshipment terminal will be delayed further as the Adani Ports has sought a five-year extension from the Kerala government for commissioning.

The back to back natural calamities, Covid pandemic, delay in getting granite rock and delay in land acquisition measures by the state government were learnt to be cited as reasons for the project overshooting the deadlines.

The agreement for the port was signed between the Kerala government and Adani Ports in 2015 and construction began in 2017. It was proposed to commence the first phase operation by 2019. Later it was extended further in view of the natural calamities. Cyclone Ockhi and Tauktae had caused damage to the project.

Kerala Ports Minister Ahamed Devarkovil who held talks with Adani Ports officials said that the project was expected to become operations by 2023 December. Adani Ports had cited genuine grounds like natural calamities and Covid and hence extension was being given, he said.

The Rs. 7,500 crore project is expected to give a boost to Kerala's economic development. The first phase of the project comprises 3.1 kilometres of which around 850 metres has only been completed so far.

Recently there were reports that with Adani Ports setting up a container handling facility in Colombo port, the focus on Vizhinjam port may come down. But the Adani Ports authorities had ruled out it.

Colombo was quite concerned over the new port coming up in Vizhinjam. As soon as the Vizhnjam port project was announced, the Sri Lankan government had announced sops for Myanmar transshipment operations. A statement of the Sri Lankan government in 2016 had said that Vizhinjam port has a high potential to obtain a significant portion from the transshipment handling market of Western India, Pakistan and the Gulf region and would have a negative effect on transshipment activities of the Colombo port.