By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The Vizhinjam port project in Kerala is on course and the environment impact assessment (EIA) will be ready in December, the state’s Ports Minister K. Babu said Thursday.
The proposed Vizhinjam port is to come up near the famed tourist destination of Kovalam and the proposed site has a natural depth of 24 metres, one of the deepest in the world and hence requires no dredging.
“Canards have been spread by a section of the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA), who said that this port project would be detrimental to tourism and the fisheries sector. There is not an iota of truth in it and instead this port will benefit both the sectors,” said Babu.
The project, to be completed in three phases, has been on the drawing board of three previous governments. The project cost estimated at Rs.5,000 crore about five years back has been revised upward by the present Oommen Chandy government. The first phase will now cost Rs.4,010 crore.
“We will now wait for the EIA report to come and also get the much needed waiver of the cabotage law for this port and then go ahead to select the port operator through a global tender. We expect to complete all these processes in four months after the EIA report is ready,” added Babu.
The port will be located close to a busy international shipping route and is envisaged to handle 4.1 million containers annually.
“The total land that has been acquired by now is close to 100 acres. We have started procedures to acquire another 100 acres to set up the warehouses and godowns. All those who had to lose their land have been rehabilitated to their satisfaction,” said Babu.