THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government will ensure a depth of five metres at the harbour channel at Muthalapozhi by removing the rocks deposited on the channel bed, Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma said on Monday. She was inaugurating the dredging entrusted with the Adani Group on the harbour premises. The faulty design of the breakwater and the failure to remove rocks on the channel bed were the reasons for the recurring accidents at the harbour mouth. The LDF Government had taken steps to organise dredging here, but the available dredgers, though capable of removing sand, was incapable of breaking up the rocks, she said.
The Adani Group had approached the government with a proposal at the time the government was toying with the idea of inviting global tenders for hiring better dredgers. The Adani Group, which is the concessionaire for the Rs 7,525-crore Vizhinjam seaport project, wanted the use of the wharf at Muthalapozhi for loading rocks needed for the construction of the stalled breakwater at Vizhinjam. The government replied that it was agreeable to the idea provided the Ahmedabad-based group deepened the harbour mouth by removing the rocks, the minister said.
Two types of dredgers are deployed at Muthalapozhi. One, for removal of the rocks and a second one for breaking up the rocks.The government has instructed the Adani Group the dredging works should be completed in a time-bound manner, the minister said. She also urged fishermen to refrain from activities such as collection of mussels to avoid accidents during the dredging. Deputy Speaker V Sasi, Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd CEO Rajesh Jha, Adani Ports corporate affairs head Sushil Nair, Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd MD Jayakumar and Harbour Engineering Department chief engineer P K Anil Kumar were present.