Kollam Port (Thankasseri) l Neendakara Port

[Reghu]

• Two cargo ships from Kollam to Minicoy every week starting from August 2009
  
  
• Passenger Ships to Minicoy from Kollam shortly
  
  
• More shipping agents interested to operate cargo export from Kollam as it is ideally located

[Reghu]

KOLLAM: Employees of the Port Department who have been posted at the newly commissioned Kollam port are cashing in on the arrival of the maiden cargo ship at the port. They are levying an ‘unauthorised’ entry fee of Rs.5 per head from the public for entering the port complex to have a close look at the ship.

The ship, which arrived at the port on June 16, has become a big attraction of the city. Hundreds of persons are arriving at the port to see the ship, which will be there till Wednesday.

On payment of the fee, a ‘vehicle pass’ is issued to the visitors. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday there were big queues of visitors to buy the ticket, being issued from the Customs House complex, a little away from the entry gate to the port.

On Sunday, more than 5,000 people visited the ship. By 7 p.m. on Monday, more than 2,000 tickets were understood to have been issued.

When asked about it, Special Officer, Ports, P.I. Sheikh Pareeth said the fee was unauthorised. He said the entry of visitors to the port was not permitted. However, since it is the first ship calling at the new port, a lot of visitors are expected and the department does not want to disappoint them. The Ports Department has not imposed a fee for this, he said.

District Collector A. Shajahan also said the fee was unauthorised. He said he would take up the issue with the Port Department officials concerned.

[Reghu]

KOLLAM: The maiden cargo handling operation by the 1,000-dwt (deadweight tonnage) ship MV Anakuri at the newly commissioned Kollam Port is a “big success,” according to the shipping agent, the exporter and the cargo purchaser who chartered the ship. This has paved the way for the arrival of the next ship soon.

There was apprehension on how the project would shape out after loading activities were suspended following labour problems and there was uncertainty over when it would resume.

The shipping agent, Antony Michael Kishore, and the cargo purchaser, Mohammed Wahid, reached Kollam on Wednesday with a team of expert loading workers and resumed the loading operations. Instead of the small bags, the sand was filled in bags of one-tonne capacity and loaded onto the ship.

Mr. Kishore said the apprehension about the operations was triggered by the initial hiccups that a newly commissioned port faced. He said they preferred Kollam to Tuticorin for the Maldives operation, as the sailing time from Kollam to Male was only 30 hours as against 48 hours from Tuticorin. The ship is now scheduled to receive its full load by Thursday evening and will set sail soon after or on Friday morning.

Mr. Kishore, Mr. Wahid and a representative of the export company, Jinson K.J., told The Hindu that they were satisfied with the operations at the Kollam Port and they would soon bring a 1,500-dwt ship, MV Raina to Kollam to carry the same consignment.

Mr. Wahid said the voyage from the Maldives to Kollam took 14 days. MV Anakuri had left the Male port for Kollam on June 11 and due to technical problems relating to clearance for entering the new port, the ship had to remain anchored off the Kollam coast for almost five days awaiting clearance.

Consignments

The ship berthed at Kollam usually takes only 10 hours to complete loading or five hours to discharge when operating from the Tuticorin Port, Mr. Kishore said. It means after berthing the ship can discharge, load and set sail within 30 hours.

The ship berthed at the wharf on June 16 to load a consignment of building materials comprising sand and gravel for the Maldives. Some amount of perishables, such as vegetables and eggs, were scheduled to be loaded shortly before the ship was to set sail. But loading problems cropped up following which the loading activities were suspended.

Mr. Kishore said they would bring their own bigger capacity crane too in the next ship.

He said as the shipping agent, he would only be happy to entrust the loading work to the local people provided the work was done in a professional manner.

[Reghu]

Originally Posted by sakrishna

Happy to know that Kollam port handled a ship meant for international cargo, on it first consignment itself.

Yes...yaar. It was a great success. It is a new era as far as Kollam development is concerned. 3 more ships are going t call at the port within the next couple of weeks. Shipping agents find Kollam an ideal port as it is quite near for countries like Maldives and the Indian Union Territory Lakshadives for importing cargo from Kollam. Infrastructure line good cranes are lacking at Kollam port....but shipping agents are even ready to bring their own cranes in the ship for loading and unloading.

[Reghu]

The sounding survey for deepening the Kollam Port has started.

[Reghu]

KOLLAM: m.v. Anakuri, the maiden ship to call at the Kollam port on June 15, left at 4.05 p.m. on Sunday for the Maldives with a cargo of 900 tonnes of building materials and 19 tonnes of perishables.

While shippers found the port the most favourable location on the Indian coast for operations to the Maldives, a wrangle between two shipping agents and dispute over loading rights are causing concern.

The showdown forced the port authorities to ban the entry of a shipping agent, Xavier Dcruz, into the port.

Ironically, Mr. Dcruz was honoured by Ports Minister M. Vijayakumar at a function at the wharf on June 17 for being instrumental in bringing the ship to the port.

While it takes less than ten hours to load the cargo Anakuri is carrying, she was forced to remain at the port for 14 days to load the cargo following a labour dispute.

As per an understanding reached with the port authorities, Mr. Dcruz was allowed to bring his own workers for the ship’s cargo handling.

The cargo handling operation was inaugurated on June 17 by Mr. Vijayakumar in the presence of Ministers P.K. Gurudasan and S. Sarma.

Not even 25 per cent of the cargo was loaded even after eight days and the loading activity came to a standstill with the men brought by Mr. Dcruz leaving the scene.

Mohammed Wahid, who chartered the ship, rushed to Kollam with a team of workers led by another shipping agent, Antony Kishore from Tuticorin, on June 24.

Within 24 hours, the entire 900 tonnes of building materials were loaded into the ship. But a dispute erupted when Mr. Kishore started loading the perishables.

Mr. Dcruz went on a hunger strike on the wharf on Saturday to protest against the loading of perishables. His contention was that he had brought the ship to Kollam and so the perishables should be loaded in his name.

As the situation deteriorated, the port authorities ordered Mr. Kishore and his men to leave the port area.

Talks held

The port authorities held discussions separately with both the shipping agents. Special officer of the port P.I. Shiekh Pareeth told The Hindu that it was decided to open two letters of credit, one in the name of Mr. Dcruz for the building materials and the other in favour of Mr. Kishore for the perishables.

Though Mr. Dcruz continued to object, the authorities stood firm. The ship’s crew then loaded the perishables after which Anakuri was able to leave the port with her full load of cargo.

Mr. Pareeth said Mr. Kishore and Mr. Wahid expressed satisfaction at the operations and gave an assurance on brining the next ship to Kollam.

[Reghu]

[Reghu]

The Kollam Port dredging process has come to a stanstill due to the stay by the Kerala Highr court for transparency issues.

This is a big blow for the development prospects of the ports as it was expecting more ships in the coming months.

It seems like the vested interests and lobbys are again playing spoilsport to undermine the Kollam Cargo Port developent.

[Reghu]

Kollam Port will be developed into a major port in future and the Government had appointed the US-based multi-national company Deloitte as consultants for developing Kollam Port as a major one. The project will be implemented after inviting global tenders.

Some snaps of the ships that came to the Kollam coast in the recent years:

Korean oil tanker MT Mirae Sun at Kollam coast



INS Bangaram at Kollam Port



TSD Sindhuraj at Kollam Port



Anakuri from Maldives

[Reghu]

• An LPG Terminal will be set up at the Neendakara Port premises according to port minister M Vijaya Kumar.
  
  
• An area of 4 acres of the port will be allocated for this.
  
  
• The LPG gas that comes by ship to Neendakara Port will be stored at the Neendakara terminal and distributed to other places. The gas that comes to Neendakara port wharf will be stored at a separate place. It will be distributed from there. Currently, all LPG gas comes from Cochin port.
  
  
• This project will give employement to scores of people.

[Reghu]

• Institute to come up at 10 acres of land out of the 17 acres available at Neendakara Port
  
  
• Apart from the 17 acres of land available at the port, Neendakara port boasts 1800 sq. Km Gowdown and 4 barges that has a capacity of 200 tons.
  
  
• The comprehensive development of the Neendakara port will happen through this project.
  
  
• The maritine institute coming up in 10 acres of port land will give training to people who go for fishing to Engineers associated with ports.
  
  
• Courses will be offered that relates to sectors concerned to sea traffic.
  
  
• The work for starting the Maritime institute has already started
  according to the minister.

[Reghu]

If the proposed LPG Terminal at Neendakara Port becomes a reality, Gas will be imported to Kollam directly from Saudi Arabia and Aaramco. This gas can be used for industrial, domestic and auto gas purposes.

Currently, gas is imported to Vizag, Tuticorin, Kolkatta and Gujarath from Saudi Arabia and distributed to other places in India.

It will be a great boon for Kerala if the LPG Terminal at Neendkara becomes a reality. This will reduce the gas cost locally. The cochin based Auto Gas Energy India Limited company has taken the initiative to set up the Gas Terminal at Neendakara.

A terminal that has the capacity of 2000 to 4000 metric ton will be set up at Neendakara Port.

[Emerging_Quilon]

Originally Posted by Reghu

Kollam Cargo Port - Revival of a 2500 year old Port - From the Archives

Kollam Port - Arial View











The TSD Sindhuraj:

Excellent start, Reghu. I am so excited to see this thread. This will be most interesting thread as far as Kollamaites are concerned. I will post some of my ideas in this thread in the immedeate future.

[Emerging_Quilon]

KOLLAM: The district unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has sought the setting up of a Kollam Port Trust.

NCP district president R. Rajmohan Nair said in a statement here on Wednesday that only a port trust can ensure the smooth and fast growth of the port there. Shipping agents from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh had expressed their willingness to operate from Kollam. There should not be any delay in the constitution of a port authority, Mr. Nair said.

Immediate steps should also be taken to improve the infrastructure facilities at the port, the statement said. It also urged the government to start shipping services to Male, Lakshadweep and Sri Lanka from Kollam. Services to these places from other ports are registering profits, he said.

He said a resolution in this regard was moved at a special meeting of the party which was attended by NCP general secretary S. Pradeep Kumar.

[navjot]

excellent start to a futuristic thread

i wish more kollamites join ssc and participate in these threads

[arshad_pkd]

http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bi...5251&BV_ID=@@@

[Reghu]

Originally Posted by arshad_pkd

http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bi...5251&BV_ID=@@@

Hi Arshad, Great news. But this news is more relevant in the Palakkad thread or the Kerala Development and Projects thread. This thread is related to projects and news related to Kollam Cargo Port and Neendakara Port only.

[Reghu]

Kollam (Thankasseri) Port - Google Earth View



Kollam Neendakara Port - Google Earth View

[Emerging_Quilon]

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister for Ports and Parliamentary Affairs M. Vijayakumar told the Assembly on Tuesday that global tenders would be called for development of Kollam, Alappuzha and Azhickal ports with private investment this year. Contract for development of Ponnani port would be awarded through the ‘Swiss challenge’ system of competitive bidding.

Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for ports, the Minister said that the Alappuzha port was to be developed as a marina cum cargo port. A marina port would be developed at Thalassery also. The Kottayam port would be commissioned next month. It was being developed as joint venture of private parties with Kerala State Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra).

Mr. Vijayakumar said that an investment of Rs.15,000 crore was estimated for the six ports proposed to be developed with private participation.

He said that the government would convene an all-party meeting to decide on the course of action to be taken in the case of the proposed Vizhinjam International Trans-shipment Terminal. He said that the Central government had stated that Poovar would be suitable for the shipyard planned for the Western Coast.

A ship repairing yard would be set up at Vizhinjam as a joint venture with the Cochin shipyard. Maritime institutes would start functioning at Neendakara and Kasaragod this year itself.

He said that the government had drawn up draft legislation for establishment of a maritime development board in the State.

[Reghu]

Originally Posted by Emerging_Quilon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister for Ports and Parliamentary Affairs M. Vijayakumar told the Assembly on Tuesday that global tenders would be called for development of Kollam, Alappuzha and Azhickal ports with private investment this year. Contract for development of Ponnani port would be awarded through the ‘Swiss challenge’ system of competitive bidding.

Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for ports, the Minister said that the Alappuzha port was to be developed as a marina cum cargo port. A marina port would be developed at Thalassery also. The Kottayam port would be commissioned next month. It was being developed as joint venture of private parties with Kerala State Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra).

Mr. Vijayakumar said that an investment of Rs.15,000 crore was estimated for the six ports proposed to be developed with private participation.

He said that the government would convene an all-party meeting to decide on the course of action to be taken in the case of the proposed Vizhinjam International Trans-shipment Terminal. He said that the Central government had stated that Poovar would be suitable for the shipyard planned for the Western Coast.

A ship repairing yard would be set up at Vizhinjam as a joint venture with the Cochin shipyard. Maritime institutes would start functioning at Neendakara and Kasaragod this year itself.

He said that the government had drawn up draft legislation for establishment of a maritime development board in the State.

This is a great news as far as Kollam Cargo port and Neendkara Ports are concerned. The Government had already appointed the US-based multi-national company Deloitte as consultants for developing Kollam Cargo Port as a major one. The project will be implemented after inviting global tenders. We have to see how long the tender process will take aand who will come forward. Hope an episode like that of Vizhijam may not happen for the Kollam Cargo Port. The government has to make sure the tender process should happen quickly and the project get materialized soon.