The master plan for the Vizhinjam port project will feature a number of welfare schemes for the resident fishing community.
These will form part of Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd’s (VISL) corporate social responsibility programme.
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
This was decided at a meeting of the board of directors of the VISL here held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday.
The meeting resolved that all these programmes be incorporated in the master plan for the proposed port.
State Ports Minister K. Babu said that comprehensive ‘port city area development plan’ would be implemented at Vizhinjam as part of the project.
The proposed welfare schemes include setting up of a seafood park for producing value-added products from fish.
A centre for training youth in vocations connected with marine and port sectors would be another facility envisaged as part of the scheme.
PUBLIC HEARING
Besides, the upper primary school at nearby Mulloor would be upgraded and the fishing harbour provided with more facilities.
The VISL board of directors also discussed the details of a year-long study conducted to assess the social and environmental impact of the project.
It directed officials concerned to approach the State Pollution Control Board as early as possible for organising a public hearing as part of the process.
Referring to concerns raised by the tourism sector of adverse impact from the project, the minister said the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) was done as per a detailed terms of reference prescribed specifically for the project by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
EPC TENDER
The ESIA report will be subjected to the public hearing. Concerns of all sections of people in the area will be addressed before implementing the project.
Tenders inviting bids for taking up the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works for port project could be issued after getting the environmental clearance.
The meeting of the board of directors decided to escalate the process of acquisition of land for warehouses at the port town.