THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Ushering in fresh hopes of the capital to have a shipyard, the state government is considering the project next after construction works of Vizhinjam port start, Ports Minister K Babu informed the Assembly on Wednesday. As per the study report placed by Cochin Shipyard, Vizhinjam, Poovar and Azheekal are in the priority list.
For several years, there has been a constant demand to bring the shipyard to Poovar. Proximity to the International Shipping Lane and natural port being advantageous to Poovar, the investment to arrange rail/road facilities and breakwater has pushed it to second place upping the chances for Vizhinjam, according to the report. Appending a shipyard while developing a seaport at Vizhinjam is ideal, it observes.
As per the Port Policy of the state government, Azheekal already has an inclusion in the Kerala Port Project for a ship repair yard. Distance from the Shipping Lane at the same time is a disadvantage.
In December 2007, the state government had recommended Poovar for a shipyard along the western coast of India. Later, considering the cost factor in setting up a breakwater, in 2010, it suggested Vizhinjam. Poovar being an area connected to Neyyar, chances of siltation is higher, demanding that much dredging may be required.
For a major port cum ship building yard at Azheekal, the Ministry for Shipping has formed a technical committee, which carried out a spot verification and tabled a report in April 2012. It recommended that the state government may carry out the phase one development activities here and decision on the successive phases be taken by the Central Government based on feasibility. After this recommendation, has come the Cochin Shipyard study. Along with prioritising the locations, the study also suggests a 100-acre one-and-a-half kilometre waterfront area with rail, road, electricity and water connectivity for the shipyard.