Celebrations on the arrival of the first mothership San Fernando at the Vizhinjam international seaport on Friday.
In 1991, when the Vizhinjam port project was first announced, the coastal village was just another village with ordinary prospects. Now, this port is going to be one of the worldโs top destinations for global container shipping, Karan Adani, managing director of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited (APSEZ), has said.
Addressing the gathering at the Vizhinjam International Seaport during a reception organised for the first mother vessel that called at the port by the State government in association with the APSEZ, Mr. Adani announced that the port developer would complete the first phase of works before the scheduled Phase 1 deadline in December this year.
Managing director of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited (APSEZ) Karan Adani addressing the gathering at the Vizhinjam International Seaportย on Friday.
| Photo Credit:
ANI
โAround 600 metres of operational quay length has been completed, and we are preparing 7,500 container yard slots to accept cargo. While we are expected to handle one million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) per annum in Phase 1, we are confident that we will handle 1.5 million TEUs โ 50% more,โ said Mr. Adani.
On the completion of all the four phases of the project by 2028โ29, the Kerala government and the Adani Vizhinjam Port would have invested a total of โน20,000 crore in the public-private partnership (PPP) project. The public hearing for the portโs master plan had just been completed.
โAs soon as we receive the environmental clearance and other regulatory approvals, the Adani Group will begin work immediately on the portโs remaining phases โ and this could begin as early as October this year,โ said Mr. Adani.
โIn addition to the direct port infrastructure, we are also focussing on ancillary developments in the immediate neighbourhood, including a modern fishing harbour, bunkering facilities, an outer ring road to serve the area, a seafood park, cruise tourism facilities, and an industrial corridor. We have already created over 2,000 direct and indirect jobs in construction, operations, and other segments, and now, with these wide-ranging developments, we will create more than 5,500 additional direct and indirect employment opportunities right here in Vizhinjam,โ he added.
Further, through the Adani Skill Development Centre, thousands of young women and men with advanced specialised skills relevant to the maritime sector would be equipped, and these high-level vocational skills would make them highly-sought-after both in India and abroad, he said.
