Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan flagged in the first ship into the Rs 7,700-crore Vizhinjam international deep-sea port on Sunday.
The Chinese ship Zhen Hua 15 carrying cranes from China was given a water salute by the tug boats which pulled the vessel into the wharf. Ministers and opposition leaders were present on the occasion. Union Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was the chief guest.
Speaking after the flag-in ceremony, Pinarayi said the Vizhinjam port offers huge development opportunities for Kerala. He said nothing is 'impossible' for Kerala and the achievement that is the Vizhinjam port is a testament to the fact that anything is possible through collective action.
He also said that despite crises like Covid-19 delaying the project, they were able to expedite construction and make the port a reality.
"The aim has always been to raise the standard of living in Kerala. This port gives us the strength to move towards that goal with determination. Today, we are moving forward with a clear vision. This port is a testament to the fact that nothing is impossible if everyone comes together. Vizhinjam can be compared with the leading ports in the world. It is indeed a proud project of the country. Though some international and commercial lobbies tried their best to topple the project, we survived it against all odds," said Pinarayi.
He called the project one of the great contributions of Kerala to India. "Vizhinjam has several features none of the other ports in the country have. It is only 11 nautical miles from the international shipping channel. There is no other naturally deep harbour in India. The Chinese cargo ship today reached the 400-metre berth that was constructed in the first phase. Adani Port officials said eight more ships will reach Vizhinjam in the coming days. The work will be completed and commissioned within five to six months," he said.
Pinarayi said the port will create more than 5,000 direct and indirect job opportunities in the state. "Once the work is completed, Kerala will become the centre of container movement in the country. Allied industries too have great potential. We should be able to utilise all of them," he added.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said former chief minister Oommen Chandy bravely took the decision to make Vizhinjam port a reality even when he was accused of piracy and selling real estate worth Rs 6,000 crore to the Adani group.
"He did not flinch or back down or give up in the face of such accusations," he said while speaking at the event.
Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor, who too spoke at the event, said it was thanks to the initiative taken by Chandy that the project -- which was stagnant from 2004 to 2010 -- moved forward. Chandy ensured all studies were carried out and all approvals were received from the Centre during his tenure.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran, in a statement, slammed Vijayan for not commemorating Chandy as was done by state Ports Minister Ahamed Devarkovil.
Sudhakaran alleged that Vijayan was "unlucky" as he was destined to inaugurate projects initiated by the former CM.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, on the other hand, attributed credit for the project to the Narendra Modi government. He said the project was an outcome of the good governance of the Modi government. Muraleedharan said new life was breathed into the port project in 2015 only after the Modi government came to power.
Meanwhile, Karan Adani -- CEO of Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd -- in a post on social media platform X said that the project journey began in 2015 and the momentous occasion was due to the trust and love shown by all.
"Our journey began in 2015 when the people of Kerala and Thiruvananthapuram entrusted us with their dream of this port. Today, as the 1st vessel berths at #VizhinjamPort, the trust & love shown by all have brought us to this momentous day. My heartfelt salutation to each one of you," he said.
Hundreds of people, across all age groups, arrived at the port area to see the ship arrive at the dock. The port will be commissioned in May next year. Last month the Kerala government said three more ships would be coming in October and November to the port. The government had also said that 75 per cent of the breakwater construction is also complete.
The Vizhinjam port is being constructed under the public-private partnership model. Adani Group is the private partner in the development of Vizhinjam port, which is going to be one of the largest ports in the world once commissioned.
(With PTI inputs)
