The tender of the Welspun-led consortium for the port operating contract of the proposed Vizhinjam Trans-shipment Container Terminal stands cancelled as of Wednesday last. In return, the Chief Minister has assured that the project would be re-tendered after the port gets the approval from the Union Environmental Ministry, which is expected in November this year.

The Environmental Ministry has been studying the environmental impact on the region by the upcoming trans-shipment container terminal for the past one year. It was concluded that the coming up of the Vizhinjam harbour would cause massive erosion from the northern side of the shoreline, which would get accumulated towards the southern side. In other words, the coming up of the harbour could result in the erosion of Kovalam, the international tourist destination, and in destroying the booming health tourism around the Poovar region.

Vizhinjam was one of the most important ports for trade and commerce at a global level many centuries ago. Then, as the ships changed from being wind-operated to machine, operated and shifted their ocean paths accordingly, Vizhinjam slowly sank into oblivion. During this time, the state and the nation as a whole was busy trying to free itself from the clutches of oppressors and in building an ideal constitution post independence.

After decades of reformation, overcoming many genuine threats at democracy, India finally began to 'shine' in the late nineties. The amount of container traffic in the nation's limited number of ports dotting its vast 7500-kilometre shoreline began to show tremendous increase. The need became acute for the nation to have a trans-shipment container port, as the cost and delay in dis-embarking the containers in Singapore, Colombo and Dubai was becoming a serious issue hindering the growth of the country.

It was the time when the Indian economy was surging forward and the need for development was genuine and complete with the availability of all necessary funds. Vizhinjam, with its natural features and historical background, found the voice to demand the identity that was taken away from it over the centuries; a demand, which at present to implement would cost around Rs.4,000 crores.

India has a total of 13 ports enlisted under the 'major' category . Kochi is one among them. In 2005, Dubai Ports World (DP World) announced that it had come to terms with the Cochin Ports Trust to build a trans-shipment container terminal in Vallarpadam at a cost of Rs.3,000 crores. The fist stage of the port was commissioned in February 2011, with a handling capacity of one million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) per annum.