THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ending more than a decade of impasse, the state government has officially accorded in-principle administrative sanction for the construction of the new Vizhinjam fishing harbour.
By clearing implementation of the first package of the revised project through Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd (AVPPL), the government has paved the way for the commencement of the long-pending project aimed at strengthening fishing infrastructure at Vizhinjam.
The sanction, issued by the fisheries and ports department on Saturday, covers construction of a 235m breakwater and a 500m L-shaped fishery berth, along with associated ancillary facilities. The work will be undertaken by AVPPL under the funded works provisions of the concession agreement.
The new harbour is part of commitments associated with the environmental and CRZ clearances granted for phase I of the Vizhinjam International Seaport Project. The clearances had specified the development of an additional fish-landing centre.
Following concerns raised by the fishing community and the harbour engineering department over the tranquility conditions at the entrance of the existing Vizhinjam harbour after construction of the port breakwaters, the configuration of the proposed harbour was revised. The Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) subsequently conducted physical wave-model studies and recommended a revised fishery harbour configuration. The revised package involves substantial changes to the location, alignment, breakwater configuration and berth arrangement.
Consequently, the government issued a change of scope notice to AVPPL under the concession agreement. The managing director of Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd had sought in-principle administrative sanction on September 29.