Kerala moves to develop Kollam Port as 'satellite' for Vizhinjam: Why it matters

The Kerala government has finalised plans for the development of the Kollam Port as a "satellite port" for Vizhinjam.

A satellite port is one located near a bigger, bustling port, sharing some of its cargo load, helping decongest it, and more importantly, functioning together as a unit, which is vital to the Sagarmala programme.

This adds a layer of importance to the development of a minor port—one of the largest in the state—that is already under Kerala's ₹400 crore 'Mission Samudra' project, which involves developing the state's two international ports alongside its 18 minor ports.

As a part of these plans, Kerala labour minister Bindu Krishna on Saturday inspected facilities at the Kollam Port to assess infrastructure requirements and to directly consult with the public, port authorities, and local representatives ahead of the key discussions on the future of Vizhinjam's satellite port.

Kollam Mayor A.K. Hafeez, Deputy Mayor Udaya Sukumaran, Port Officer Jisman Jacob, and other officials joined her for the inspection.

She explained that the port's requirements would be brought to the immediate attention of the Ports department and Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, after which a high-level review meeting will take place in Thiruvananthapuram next week.

“Kollam Port had received virtually no attention over the past decade," she said, as per a Hindu report, highlighting that the Kerala government was looking at several proposals for developing the port, such as one for the establishment of a floating dry dock and another for the launch of cruise services.

She added that a fresh survey would be conducted to determine the port's current draft depth to see if dredging was required to achieve a minimum depth of at least 8m, and that practical hurdles—such as the absence of a dedicated Port Health Officer required for shipping operations—would also be resolved.

Port authorities and fisherfolk also raised several concerns during the visit, including the inadequate depth of the existing wharf, customs-related bottlenecks, the ageing fleet of coastal police boats, issues with high-mast lights and security cameras, and rising incidents of theft from fishing boats.

₹15.15 crore project already underway

The minister's visit comes just weeks after the state government gave in-principle approval for the development of the Kollam Port under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode at a cost of ₹15.15 crore.

₹7.24 crore out of this will be funded by the Union shipping ministry's Sagarmala programme.

The project involves the development of a multi-purpose berth, as well as the construction of ancillary facilities, such as a wharf measuring 101m in length and 21m in width.