Thiruvananthapuram: A Chinese ship carrying cranes arrived at Kerala's Vizhinjam International Seaport on Thursday.
The massive ship Zhen-Hua 15 had left the shores of China in August and had its first berthing at the Mundra Port in Gujarat early this month. The ship, which reached the outer waters of Vizhinjam on Wednesday. was given a traditional water salute.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister of Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal will officially receive the ship on Sunday at the seaport.
Last month, CM Vijayan and top officials had named the port Vizhinjam International Seaport, Thiruvananthapuram and released its logo at a function. The Kerala government's dream project is expected to open the gateway to international marine transshipment.
This momentous event takes place after a delay of five years. During the commencement of the port by Adani on December 5, 2015, its founder Gautam Adani had announced that the first ship would berth here on September 1, 2018, in a record time of less than 1,000 days. But the group failed to meet the deadline due to various reasons.
At the moment, more than 80 per cent of the first phase of the work at the port has been completed. Seven more ships are scheduled to arrive at the port after the arrival of the first ship. The port will be opened for commercial operations in May next year.
The project was signed off by the Congress-led UDF government under Chief Minister Oommen Chandy (2011-16) and the work on the port began at the fag-end of Chandy's tenure.
After cyclone Ockhi hit the construction site in 2017, a portion of the constructed breakwater was washed away. The shortage of limestone, the most important raw material for the project, was yet another reason for delay.
According to the project, a record one lakh jobs (direct and indirect) will be created. Once open, the port will prove to be a game-changer not just for Kerala but for the entire country as 80 per cent of transshipments to India that currently takes place at Colombo, Singapore and Dubai, will now happen at Vizhinjam.
(With IANS inputs.)