Adani Gets Nod for Vizhinjam Port, to Begin Work in November

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vizhinjam Port proposal has been finally cleared with Adani Ports to launch the work on November 1, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Wednesday.

"We have decided to clear the project and it has been decided to hand it over to the lone tender of Adani Ports," Mr Chandy told reporters here after the weekly cabinet meeting.

"We announce to the people of Kerala that on November 1, which is Kerala's formation day, the work for the Vizhinjam Port will begin and nothing is going to stop this dream project from going ahead," Mr Chandy said.

Last month, two different committees that looked into the only proposal submitted by Adani Ports for setting up the Vizhinjam Port near Kovalam, a beach town, had given go-ahead.

Vizhinjam, when completed, will enable ships with a capacity of even 18,000 TEU (20-feet equivalent units) to dock here.

The proposed port, located close to the busy international shipping route, is envisaged to handle 4.1 million containers annually.

The Rs.4,000-crore first phase of the port is expected to be completed in three phases, with the first phase being ready by 2019.

Adani Ports was the lone bidder and had sought Rs.1,635 crore as grant for the proposed port project.