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The Kerala government has chalked out an action plan to shift 20 per cent of the cargo movement through the roads to coastal shipping by 2015. Currently, 7 per cent of the total cargo movement is through coastal shipping.
K Babu, minister for shipping and ports, said the government would develop six minor ports to enhance coastal shipping services in the first phase. These include Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kodungalloor in Thrissur district, Beypore in Kozhikode district and Azheekal in Kasargode district. Better proximity to the international marine route gives an advantage to these ports, he told Business Standard.
At present, coastal cargo movement is being carried out through four ports - Vizhinjam, Kollam Beypore and Azheekal. The government will soon prepare a detailed plan for renovation and modernisation of these ports in order to berth large vessels. It proposes to involve private players for the development of these ports and allied services.
Stating that the Cabinet had decided to provide incentive to the shipping companies that provide service on the coastal route, he said these companies get Re 1 per one tonne cargo to transport 1 km and Re 1 for each passenger for 1 km.
Kerala also has an inland water transport system having a total length of 1,647 km. The government plans to develop this to transit cargo through backwaters and rivers. The state has 44 rivers and three very large lakes.
He said work on a ship designing centre for inland navigation had already started at Beypore.
The minister said inland and coastal transportation of cargo would become inevitable once the Vizhinjam International seaport was ready as highways of the state were already congested. On average, 20,000 trucks come to Kerala from outside the state on a daily basis. If 20 per cent of the cargo transporting through the roads is diverted to coastal shipping the traffic congestion is cities like Kochi could be reduced to a great extent, he added.
There are eight national highways and 58 state highways in the state. Of the total cargo movement, 54 per cent is through roads, 34 per cent through rail and only 7 per cent is through waterways. Years ago, the state had a very efficient water transport system through large country boats, called Kettuvallam, according to him.
The Cabinet had given green signal to form a Maritime Board for the development of waterways. The state government has set up two maritime institutes, at Kodungalloor and Neemdakara in Kollam district. It also proposes to set up a maritime university for the development of marine sector.
