Thiruvananthapuram : Minister for Cooperatives , Ports and Devaswom V N Vasavan said that the state government’s determination has made it possible to bring the Vizhinjam port to the top of the world . The minister was inaugurating the state-level seminar of the port department at Azhikkal port as part of ‘ Vision 2031’. After overcoming many challenges and crises, the completion certificate of the Vizhinjam port was received under the leadership of the Chief Minister within the stipulated time. Currently, 554 ships have arrived. Vizhinjam port will become one of the main gateways of the country by 2028 after completing various phases of work . The approach road for land-based cargo movement will be commissioned in December. This will create a huge breakthrough in the field of land-based and water-based cargo movement, the minister said.
The minister said that the centralised freight transport will be facilitated by connecting the ports of Kovalam , Vizhinjam , Kollam , Beypore and Azhikkal. If the freight transport becomes centralised, 10 to 30 percent of the freight transport can be shifted to waterways. This will help in reducing vehicle congestion, controlling costs, reducing carbon emissions and ensuring timely delivery of goods.
Kottayam has become an inland port handling 6.5 million tonnes of cargo. The minister said that there is great potential for logistics parks in connection with the Kottayam port, which is connected to extensive road-rail and inland waterways near Kottayam , Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts. Efforts are being made to implement two institutions under the Maritime Board at Neendakara and Kodungallur for training and education in the port sector . A memorandum of understanding has been signed for this.
The environmental impact study for Beypore-Lakshadweep freight traffic is also underway. Steps have been taken to develop Beypore Port to make freight traffic with Lakshadweep more efficient. The minister also said that the possibility of starting passenger ships from Kochi to Dubai needs to be realized. Kerala’s coastline is about 590 km. Of this, 87 km is the area declared for the port. The seminar will pave the way for opinion formation on how to develop marine-based industries, including in this area. The minister said that Azheekal Port was made the venue for the seminar with a long-term vision, understanding the importance of Azheekal for marine-based industries.
Minister V.N. Vasavan also presented the policy document of the Port Department, ‘ Vision 2031’ . This was followed by discussions on various issues. K.V. Sumesh MLA presided over the function. Former Additional Chief Secretary James Varghese delivered the keynote address at the inaugural function. Special Secretary of the Port Department B. Abdul Nasser delivered the presentation. District Panchayat President Adv. K.K. Ratnakumari , Kannur Block Panchayat President K.C. Jisha , Azhikode Grama Panchayat President K.Ajeesh , former MLA and Kerala Maritime Board member M. Prakashan Master , and Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited Managing Director Dr. Divya S. Iyer spoke.
