The trial run of the operations of the Vizhinjam International Seaport will begin by the end of this month, Ports Minister V.N. Vasavan informed the Assembly. The full-fledged commercial operations of the port are scheduled to begin in December this year, the Minister said in reply to questions from the legislators during the question hour in the assembly on Tuesday.
Around 80% of the work on the port has been completed, and the remaining works are progressing. Around 98% of the dredging and reclamation work has been completed, while around 81% of the breakwater has been completed, one of the important components of port construction. Similarly, around 92% of the berth construction is over. The majority of the cranes and tugs required for the test run and commercial run of the port have been delivered to the port, the Minister said.
The work on the container yard has been completed at around 74%, and the work on the buildings is the final stage, the Minister said. When the first phase of the port operation begins, around 600 people will get direct employment, and the second and third phases will provide direct employment to another 700 people. In addition, around 2,300 jobs will be available during the next phase of construction, and the number of indirect jobs to be created will be around threefold more than this, the Minister said.
The Minister also informed the assembly that the construction of the rail line to Vizhinjam port for cargo movement will start soon after the land acquisition is completed. An agreement has been signed with Southern Railway to implement the project on the Non-Government Railway (NGR) model. A total of 5.53 hectares has to be acquired for the project, and the land acquisition work is progressing, the Minister said.
The land acquisition exercise is expected to be completed in 42 months. According to the agreement, the State government is responsible for laying the rail link connecting the international port with the national rail network. Konkan Rail Corporation has been entrusted with the task of laying the railway line. As per the detailed project report (DPR), which is approved by the Southern Railway, the rail line will have a length of 10.7 km, and the project is estimated to cost ₹1,060 crore.
Of the total 10.7 km length, around 9.02 km of the line connecting the port with Balaramapuram railway station will pass through the tunnel. The Minister also said that the tunnel was designed with the majority of the tunnel passing under the Public Works Department’s road.
Published - June 11, 2024 08:14 pm IST
