KOCHI: Is the move to build a port at Colachel aimed at crippling the ports in Kerala? Port users and industry observers in the State say that the rapid techno-economic feasibility report for the Colachel Port clearly point to ulterior motives.
According to them, the report highlights the weakness of Kochi Port as well as the proposed Vizhinjam port in the State. Ironically, the Shipping Ministry, which appointed consultants for Colachel, had approved the viability gap funding and other support for the new port at Vizhinjam a year ago.
In Kochi Port’s ICTT at Vallarpadam, the government stake is much higher. The Centre had already invested ₹1,500 crore for setting up road and rail connectivity. The ₹3500 crore Vallarpadam terminal, once hailed as a milestone in India’s logistics infrastructure development, is the first greenfield container transhipment terminal, which was set up to cut India’s dependence on neighbouring ports for transhipment.
However, the consultancy report for Colachel pointed to several limitations in the efforts of Kochi Port in receiving hinterland cargo from Kerala due to lack of inter-State transport access to Tamil Nadu. The report referred long delays in inter-state checkpoints especially at Walayar, labour unrest and loss of man-days at Kochi Port, which it said, hindered smooth cargo movement.
