Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Vizhinjam Port Project

Mains level: Transshipment hub: Economic potential

Kerala’s ambitious Vizhinjam port project for a transshipment container terminal is caught in protests and violence.

Vizhinjam Port Project

In 2015, the Adani Group signed a concession agreement with the Kerala government to build India’s first mega transshipment container terminal at Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram.
The ₹7,525 crore project — an all-weather deep-sea port with a depth of 24 meters — can service large megamax-sized container ships.
This natural port has no littoral sedimentation, obviating the need for periodic dredging and lowers maintenance costs.
The port, which is well-connected to the hinterland, will handle 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units in Phase-I and another 6.2 million TEUs when completed.

Significance of the project for India?

Transshipment hub: The Vizhinjam Port holds the potential to attract a large share of container transshipment traffic that is now handled by Colombo, Singapore or Dubai.
Important shipping lane: It located just off the International Shipping Lane and close to the East-West Shipping Axis.
Cargo handling: A large share of India’s exports and imports that are now transshipped through these international ports can be handled at Vizhinjam.
Reducing logistic costs: It would mean a sharp reduction in shipping costs and lead time. This will go a long way in reducing overall logistics costs and making manufacturing competitive.
Employment generation: It will also create thousands of jobs – directly and otherwise.

Local fishermen fear displacement and loss of livelihood. They blame higher tides and increasing coastal erosion on the project.
Protests has some leftist leaning inherently opposing every development project.
A Latin Catholic Church has been at the forefront of the protests.
Many right-wing outfits have thrown their weight behind the project and want its quick completion.
They blame foreign funding for what they call ‘anti-development’ protests.