Dredging of the 300-m-long channel from the sea mouth to estuary at Muthalapozhi harbour here will begin on Monday in an effort to bring down boat accidents that have claimed over 38 fishermen.
The dredging to increase the draught of the channel by three to four metres by deploying Grab dredger is being executed by the Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd (AVPPL), the private multi-port operator tasked to build the superstructure and operate the Vizhinjam International Deepwater Seaport, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
As part of the work to be kicked off by Fisheries and Harbour Engineering Minister J. Mercykutty Amma on Monday, the AVPPL will initially remove the granite stones in the channel bed to ensure smooth movement of the fishing vessels. The granite stones are believed to be causing the toppling of boats.
The AVPPL took up the dredging work while scouting the location to construct a load jetty with storage yards on the Muthalapozhi harbour premises to enable transportation of granite via sea for construction of the 3.1-km-long breakwater at Vizhinjam seaport.
Crucial
With dredging coming to a standstill following the heavy damage suffered to the two dredgers in the Ockhi cyclone and access to the site hit, the AVPPL is trying to mobilise granite before dredging could commence. The availability of granite is crucial for construction of the breakwater beyond the 600 m that has been constructed. The remaining 2.5 kms of the breakwater are in the deepwater that ranges from 16 to 20 m in depth. For this, over 70 lakh tonnes of granite will be needed.
A spokesman of the AVPPL said quarries in Kilimanoor had been identified and the aim was to move granite from the load-out facility through sea via the harbour in bottom-opening barges to the site of breakwater construction. The AVPPL is to deploy four to five bottom opening barges.
The AVPPL has already set up a load jetty in Kollam with storage yards to bring in granite.
“We are also for setting up similar facilities in Thengapattnam and Colachel to bring granite to Vizhinjam,” he added.
