The Vizhinjam International Port will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ports minister V N Vasavan said the port’s first phase will be inaugurated in a grand way on a date convenient for the PM.
Vasavan told reporters after accepting the commissioning certificate issued by an engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras in his chamber on Wednesday that steps were being taken to ensure rail and road connectivity to the port.
Land acquisition for the 10.2km rail line from Balaramapuram to Vizhinjam will begin as the environmental and social impact assessments of the project are complete. “Konkan Railway Corporation has already submitted a detailed project report,” Vasavan said.
Regarding road connectivity, he said that the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) and Road Safety Authority would be roped in for technical assistance. “A meeting was held with stakeholders on Wednesday, and another round of meetings will be held to finalise some more details,” he added.
Vasavan said the state govt would allay the concerns of the public about land acquisition for the project through meetings, and the social impact assessment would cover all issues. “We will hold a meeting with people, and compensation for land acquisition will be discussed,” the minister said.
Stating that the port’s trial run was a huge success, he added berths and breakwater were completed as per specifications, and the port installed all cranes as per the requirement of phase 1 of the project.
The port handled 70 container ships and 1.47 lakh containers during trial over the last few months.
