Vizhinjam international seaport deadline hangs in air

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite concerns that the construction of the Rs. 7,500-crore Vizhinjam international seaport project was lagging behind schedule, the project concessionaire Adani Vizhinjam Ports are hopeful of meeting the 1000-day target, which falls in December 2019. Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani had announced target while signing the concessionaire agreement in August 2015.

"It is true that the work has been affected by factors like local protests, rock shortage and the Ockhi cyclone. But those were being resolved and the work would be expedited to overcome the lag," said an official spokesperson of Adani Vizhinjam Ports. According to the spokesperson, 25 to 50 percent of various components of the project were over.

"All contracts related to the project were already awarded. The dredging activities were also progressing well. Construction of breakwater would be speeded up as we have found a solution for rock supply," said the spokesperson.Short supply of rock for breakwater construction was being addressed by making arrangements for supply though seas from Kollam and Kanyakumari.

Arrangements were also being made with some quarries in Thiruvananthapuram for supplying rock, said the official. The piling activities for the project were recently hit by local protests alleging damage to nearby houses. The company officials said that a study by experts found that the piling was not causing any damage to the houses. However, the company had initiated repairing the cracks that developed in some of the nearby houses. The damage caused by Ockhi was also being rectified, said the officials.