MEGAPROJECT: Vizhinjam Container Transshipment Terminal | Under Development

[Ajaypp]

Originally Posted by prakmrao

Cabotage Relaxation for ICTT Cochin is good news for Vizhinjam also. If ICTT traffic increase substantially in next one year on account of cabotage relaxation, Vizhinjam bid for port operators will get better offers from competent operators.

Cabotage relaxation for Vizhinjam is a must since it stands a very realistic chance of competing with Colombo and Salalah, given its location and draft.

[ajithv]

Shot Using Samsung Galaxy SII on 06.09.2012

[ajithv]

Vizhinjam project for investor meet

The State is all set to present Vizhinjam International Container Transhipment Terminal at the Emerging Kerala meet as part of its attempt to indentify a promoter for the project, which has been in the making for quite some time now, but has not got off the ground for a variety of reasons.

The structure of the project has undergone a drastic change from its original shape, with the State government now seeking promoters for the development of the superstructure and operations of the port during the concession period. It is also looking for an Engineering Procurement Contractor who would be required to build the civil infrastructure.

Various port projects are expected to come up for discussion at the sectoral sessions that have been planned as part of investors’ meet. The Ports Department would also get an opportunity to push for Vizhinjam and a slew of other port development projects at the round-table meetings and B2B and B2G sessions.

The State has already spent Rs.405 crore for development of basic infrastructure, including power, road and rail connectivity for the project. The Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited, fully owned by the government of Kerala, will take up the dredging, reclamation and other infrastructure works such as construction of breakwater quay.

ഇപ്പ ശരിയാക്കിത്തരാം

[ajithv]

Petroleum traders association for master depot near Vizhinjam port

The State Petroleum Traders Association has flayed the reported move to wind up the IOC, HPCL and BPCL depots here. They said that there was big scope for transporting petroleum products by making use of the rail network in the state.

The Association also demanded to set up a master depot near the Vizhinjam port.

Association state president Alex Vallakalil and vice-president Syed Khan told a news conference here on Tuesday that the move to close down the southern region comes at a time when Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and other policy makers were talking about ways to minimise movement of petroleum products by the congested roads and favoured it through rail and water, and thereby prevent accidents,against the backdrop of the Chala LPG tanker blaze.

“The proposal to link main cities in the state through the gas pipeline should also be pursued seriously,” they demanded.

“After retaining and developing the existing depots of various government-owned oil companies in the southern region, new depots should be opened in Kollam, Kayamkulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode so that movement of petroleum products by rail could be realised effectively,” they urged.

“For the depots catering to the capital city alone, 200 tankers are plying with petroleum products everyday,” they pointed out.

“Movement of petro products by rail to the Kannur region has already been stopped and there is clear information that the same policy is going to be in place for other regions also,” they said.

“The Association had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in this regard,” the office-bearers said. Association T’Puram district president P Pradeep and secretary Naveen George were also present.

[krishnachand]

Attention to all !

Jeevan Tv owned by Mr.Baby Mathew somatheeram is giving hate campaign against our dream project. I have seen the news almost everyday evening by giving comments from local fishermen and people against the project.It is evident that they have bribed them for these hate comments.We should respond and protest to this. The reporters are seemed to scuttle this project at any cost. Nowadays the media is working to the vested interests accordingly.Pity!

[ajithv]

How many are watching Jeevan TV? Let them do their fishermen "concerned duty".

[jibin]

Jeevan TV surely has some vested interests i think .They are mentioning so called 'Experts' said in every report saying that tourism is doomed in kovalam.Daily dosage in every bulletin...Resort owners and other vested interests are promoting these.

[remobecks]

Kerala''s long pending dream project of Vizhinjam International Container Transshipment Terminal were among the 15 port development projects under PPP model were presented before the prospective investors here Friday.

Speaking at the Emerging Kerala global meet, state''s Port Minister K Babu said Vizhinjam port is the prime project of the state to be implemented in "landlord" model with a total initial investment of Rs 4010 crore.

Though the project was conceived long ago, it could not be implemented due to various reasons.

The building of Terminal super structure and its operation for 30 years is proposed to be done by private operation on PPP model, he said.

Adopting a three pronged strategy of having infrastructure, incentives and institution building, Kerala government plans to decongest the state roads by diverting at least 20 per cent of its cargo traffic through coastal shipping by 2015 and 40 per cent by 2020, Babu said.

"To reduce the risk in cargo transport, to decongest the roads and to prevent environmental degradation, government proposes to divert at least 20 per cent of the cargo through coastal shipping by 2015 and 40 percent by 2020," he said.

He said the coastal traffic potential through non-major ports of the state is estimated to be 4.64 million ton during 2012-14 and 7 million ton by 2019-20 and the target will be achieved by three pronged strategy of modern infrastructure, incentives and institution building.

According to him Kollam, Alappuzha, Kodungallore, Ponnani, Beypore and Azheekkal ports are also earmarked for development.

On the incentives for shifting cargo movement to the waterways, Babu said financial assistance in the form of soft loans of interest two per cent for seven years up to 40 per cent of the total construction cost of the vessel and 10 per cent interest for amounts up to 80 per cent is under consideration.


http://english.manoramaonline.com/cg...ramId=11565535

[remobecks]

With Vizhinjam we are going to be the COMPLETE CITY/METRO as we are the IT Hub,Knowledge Hub,Tourist Hub,R&D Hub,Science and Educational Hub.Just waiting for Vizhinjam and we are Complete !!!!!!

[RajeshVR]

Vizhinjam lighthouse area to get a facelift


The much-neglected Vizhinjam lighthouse and surroundings are all set to become a sought-after tourist destination point, with the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships under the Union Ministry of Shipping selecting it as one of the sites in the country to get a facelift.

Vizhinjam lighthouse, apart from Kadalur Point Lighthouse in the state, has found a place in the list of centres where a scheme to restore and maintain old lighthouses will be implemented shortly.

Union Minister for Shipping G K Vasan made the announcement while inaugurating a sectoral session on Ports, Ship Building and Logistics, held on the concluding day of Emerging Kerala-2012 here on Friday. He pointed out that old lighthouses which have a heritage value are major tourist attractions in many parts of the world. In India also, such lighthouses have been identified.

“Kadalur Point lighthouse and Vizhinjam lighthouse in Kerala have been selected for development as tourist centres,” Vasan said.With the announcement that the Vizhinjam lighthouse will be developed as a tourist destination, the area is poised to have the fortune of being led to its past glory and future prospects, at a time when the ambitious Vizhinjam port project is also waiting on its wings for a real beginning. The Central scheme would bring in necessary funds and expertise for creating a new aura around the lighthouse and precincts, which have stood the test of time.

[ajithv]

റൊമ്പ നന്ട്രി

Now nobody can claim that tourism at VZM is doomed

[ajithv]

Source: Metro Manorama

[Ajaypp]

Originally Posted by ajithv

റൊമ്പ നന്ട്രി

Ithillayirunnengil nammal enthe cheythene!

[RajeshVR]

Infrastructure of Vizhinjam Port: Questions remain

Less than two weeks remain for the 2012-2013 tourism season to open and one luxury liner has already scheduled a stopover at Vizhinjam, but the infrastructure at the existing tiny port here still leaves much to be desired.

Though the Ports Department had announced plans to develop the two wharves here last year, nothing has come off it. Which means, this year too, visiting liners, even the smaller ones, must off-load passengers at sea.

The older of the two wharves here has a length of 10 metres and the second newer one 90 metres. The plan was to extend them by 25 and 100 metres respectively on either side, sources said. ‘’The old wharf has a depth of 4.5 metres and the new one, 6.5 metres. There are also plans to extend the old wharf by ten metres towards the front. The construction of the compound wall of the port has been completed. Its work was delayed owing to some local protests,’’ Port Department sources said.

Vizhinjam’s history as a port dates back to the days of the Ay kings. Today, it is scarcely a major port of call for luxury liners despite the proximity to a tourism hub of Kovalam’s prominence, but a handful always stop by en route to Colombo or Maldives from Kochi. Last year, only two ships called at Vizhinjam. This year, Clipper Odyssey has scheduled a visit on November 27, port officials said.

[Tri Man]

Originally Posted by RajeshVR

Infrastructure of Vizhinjam Port: Questions remain

Less than two weeks remain for the 2012-2013 tourism season to open and one luxury liner has already scheduled a stopover at Vizhinjam, but the infrastructure at the existing tiny port here still leaves much to be desired.

Though the Ports Department had announced plans to develop the two wharves here last year, nothing has come off it. Which means, this year too, visiting liners, even the smaller ones, must off-load passengers at sea.

The older of the two wharves here has a length of 10 metres and the second newer one 90 metres. The plan was to extend them by 25 and 100 metres respectively on either side, sources said. ‘’The old wharf has a depth of 4.5 metres and the new one, 6.5 metres. There are also plans to extend the old wharf by ten metres towards the front. The construction of the compound wall of the port has been completed. Its work was delayed owing to some local protests,’’ Port Department sources said.

Vizhinjam’s history as a port dates back to the days of the Ay kings. Today, it is scarcely a major port of call for luxury liners despite the proximity to a tourism hub of Kovalam’s prominence, but a handful always stop by en route to Colombo or Maldives from Kochi. Last year, only two ships called at Vizhinjam. This year, Clipper Odyssey has scheduled a visit on November 27, port officials said.

If Vizhinjam has just bare ground to recieve the tourists,they should put a rented red carpet (for whole 90 m) and recieve the tourists in Kerala style with Panchavadhyam ,Garlands,Tilakam Charthal and welcome the guest with the procession of Decorated Elephants,Kathakali and Kalaripayattu.
VISL can also help the tour operator organise such events.
This coupled with a simple volvo bus ride to their hotels will give them a memorable tour starter experience.

Rather than spitting on each other Hotel Owners and VISL should form a mutually beneficial tieup.

[sudheeshnairs]

Originally Posted by Tri Man

If Vizhinjam has just bare ground to recieve the tourists,they should put a rented red carpet (for whole 90 m) and recieve the tourists in Kerala style with Panchavadhyam ,Garlands,Tilakam Charthal and welcome the guest with the procession of Decorated Elephants,Kathakali and Kalaripayattu.
VISL can also help the tour operator organise such events.
This coupled with a simple volvo bus ride to their hotels will give them a memorable tour starter experience.

Rather than spitting on each other Hotel Owners and VISL should form a mutually beneficial tieup.

Exactly the way now it is done when Tourists come by cruise ships when the call at the port once in a while.

[ajithv]

Vizhinjam port sparks interest in UK firms

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three engineering firms based in the UK have expressed interest in associating with the Vizhinjam international port project.

The project has received proposals from British firms for constructing breakwater and dredging, during the Emerging Kerala summit, which concluded on September 14.

Senior port officials said the UK-based firms had expressed willingness in providing technical assistance right from the construction stage of the Rs 1,600-crore project.

"We are satisfied with the responses we have got, and will consider these proposals after inviting global tenders to construct the super structure of the port,'' a senior port official said.

A private operator would build the terminal super-structure, and operate and maintain it for 30 years. The port at Vizhinjam would have a quay length of 2,000 metres, which would be constructed in three phases, the official said.
"We will be in touch with the firms through the UK embassy, and have already informed them that we are interested in pursuing these proposals once we get the environmental clearance,'' the official said.

The Rs 4,010-crore Vizhinjam international seaport project is set to follow landlord port model. Dredging, reclamation and basic infrastructure such as construction of break-water and quay will be done once the port gets an eco-nod from ministry of environment and forest.

Senior port officials said the state government would approach the Centre with a request to relax pre-determined tariffs. "The state plans to approach the Centre for viability gap funding wherein the Centre can fund 20% of the project cost of the proposed international Vizhinjam port project," the officials said.

"The fixed tariff will affect the port's revenue. This can be applicable for public infrastructure road projects, but for ports which have to compete with international players, this rule will be an impediment to generate profits,'' a senior state official said.

The state government had earlier cancelled the bid of Welspun Infratech (India ) Limited, a private port operator, saying its proposal was financially unviable.

[ajithv]

Source: Kerala Kaumudi

[vinodkk]

Originally Posted by ajithv

Source: Kerala Kaumudi

Kudos to Mr.Vijaya Kumar for boldly speaking out the truths. Thank you Sir. Wish some one files an RTI/PIL to bring to light what has been happening behind the screen . The current good for nothing ministry (please don't take it politically; I don't belong to any political party) was busy with some 'Submerging Kerala' projects which again was focused at a particular 'hub' in the state.Shame on them.

[krp]

Yes, Looks like Shri MVK may be right and by all likelihood we may be back to square one for vizhinjam...

Kumar, Lanco, Mundra, welspun were awarded tenders in past and none of them were able to get through this anti-vizhinjam lobby yet..

With maximum number of MLAs of congress being from Tvm district, it is a shame on Cong., they are sitting ducks to the plans/agenda of a few lobbies against this project.