As part of the second and third phases of the Vizhinjam port development, 77.17 hectares of land will be reclaimed from the sea. Previously, 63 hectares were reclaimed for the first phase, which currently houses the port’s yard. With this expansion, there will be no need to acquire private land for the port’s further development.
The land reclamation will be carried out using sand obtained from dredging. This additional land will facilitate the construction of the port’s yard, allowing for a storage capacity more than three times the current one.
Environmental considerations
The environmental clearance report states that “there is no possibility of environmental problems since there are currently no mangrove forests in the area to be dredged.”
The current container terminal, which is 800 metres long, will be expanded to 2000 metres in the next phase. Once extended by another 1200 metres, the port will be capable of accommodating five of the world’s longest ships simultaneously. Additionally, the new berths will be constructed in a manner that allows usage by both the Navy and the Coast Guard.
Increase in breakwater length and container capacity
The breakwater, currently three kilometres long, will be extended to four kilometres. The primary objective of the next phase is to enhance the container handling capacity. At present, the port handles 10 lakh TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), which will be increased to 44.5 lakh TEUs.
Employment and economic impact
Once the second and third phases are operational, an estimated 2700 people will gain direct and indirect employment. The central government’s environmental clearance report states that “there will be a big growth in the export-import sector of Kerala when these two phases are completed.”
Additionally, it is expected that the tourism sector will experience significant growth when the cruise terminal associated with the port becomes operational.
The construction of the Vizhinjam port commenced on December 5, 2015. As per the agreement between the government and the Adani Group, the construction was originally scheduled for completion within four years (1460 days). However, various factors led to delays in its progress.
