Thiruvananthapuram: It's a proud moment for Keralites as Captain GN Hari, a native of Thrikkannapuram in Thiruvananthapuram, served as the Safety and Quality Manager of ‘San Fernando,’ the first container ship that docked at Vizhinjam Seaport on Thursday. Capt. Hari led the team responsible for guiding the vessel from the outer area through the breakwater channel into the port.

The 300-meter-long cargo vessel from China arrived at the Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) on Thursday, marking a milestone moment for Kerala as India’s largest transhipment port received its first container ship. "The preparations at the port for the ship's arrival were exceptional," Capt. Hari remarked.

"It was last Sunday I received instructions to head to Vizhinjam. I was tasked with navigating a port that was yet to see any ships anchor. I needed to make swift decisions based on the situation. We quickly gathered all the necessary information about the port, the breakwater channel, and the weather conditions. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, and the favourable weather, with calm winds and no rain, supported our voyage," Capt. Hari told Manorama.

Upon its arrival on Thursday, the container ship received a water salute from four tugs that guided it to the dock. The vessel, operated by a Singapore-based company, is carrying over 6,700 containers and will offload 1,900 of them at Vizhinjam port before departing the Kerala coast on Friday.

The Vizhinjam port project is promoted by the Kerala government in partnership with the Adani Group through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The total investment for the port came up to Rs 8,867 crore. Out of this, the state government and the central government have allocated Rs 5,595 crore and Rs 818 crore respectively. Equipped with modern tools, advanced automation and IT systems, Vizhinjam will become India's first semi-automated port, expected to be fully commissioned in September or October 2024.