Kerala seeks approval for Vizhinjam development

The port project, in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, is expected to provide a total of 2,000m of quay length and has been designed to cater primarily for container transhipment, as well as other multipurpose and bulk cargo.

Shri K Babu, state minister for fisheries, ports and excise, Kerala government, told The Times of India: “Last week we held a discussion with officials with the planning commission who suggested that we go forward with this PPP model as we can raise a capital of around Rs 600 crore (US$111m) to Rs 1,000 crore (US$185m) for developing the port infrastructure.”

Once the detailed project report (DPR) is completed, the EIA report along with master plan and final DPR will be submitted to the state pollution control board for a public hearing. “The final report will then be then submitted to the Union ministry of environment and forest for clearance,” an official added.

The Government of Kerala says that the port development, which will be situated 10 nautical miles from the major international sea route and will have a natural water depth of more than 20m, will support India’s economic growth.