An international shipping conclave to be organised in Thiruvananthapuram; intends to present the industrial potential of Vizhinjam International Port

According to Ports Minister Ahammad Devarkovil, an international shipping conclave will be held in Thiruvananthapuram in the first week of October to showcase the industrial potential of Vizhinjam International Port to the world marine sector. Speaking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday following the monthly review meeting of the Vizhinjam International Port construction, the Minister stated that the meeting had charted out alternative ways to address the drop in rock availability due to restrictions imposed by the Tamil Nadu government on its transportation.

As many as 54 lakh tonnes of rock had been stockpiled and 49 lakh tonnes deposited as part of the port work. The government had taken the required procedures to satisfy the remaining 26 lakh tonnes of demand. The Minister stated that the rock availability situation will be handled by talking with the Tamil Nadu government and procuring stones from licenced quarries in the state.

The government will raise the cash needed to complete the Vizhinjam project, which is a dream project for Kerala. According to the Minister, the Chief Minister had provided precise instructions to those involved in this matter. On September 24, the first ship bringing the project's crane would arrive at the port. The MD and CEO of Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) will travel to China for this purpose early next month. The Minister stated that all port-related activities will be finished and the port would be commercially operational by May 2024. The Minister went on to say that important components of the port's development had been finished and launched ahead of schedule.