Tug boats gave a water salute to a Chinese cargo ship carrying cranes, which became the first ship to enter the recently-built Vizhinjam International Seaport (India's first container trans-shipment port) on Thursday, 12 October.
The enormous container-handling cranes on the ship will be moved to the port on Sunday, 15 October, in a formal ceremony which will be attended by Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Indian Union Minister for Ports Sarbananda Sonowal, a government official told Indian media.
Zhen Hua 15
© Photo : Social Media: Video Screenshot
The Zhen Hua 15 was supposed to arrive at Vizhinjam on 4 October after leaving China at the end of August, but the trip was set back due to poor weather along the way. The project, which was intended to be completed in 2019, was delayed due to a number of land acquisition-related challenges.
The Vizhinjam port is being built under a public-private partnership (PPP), with funds provided by the Kerala state government, the Centre, and the developer Adani Ports Private Limited.
The port, when completed, will rank among the biggest ports in the world, reports say. As per media, it will become fully-operational by May next year.
The port, with a natural depth of 18 metres and only 10 nautical miles from the international shipping line, has the potential to significantly increase India's maritime trade, which is currently suffering due to the absence of a significant port in southern India.