Kottayam Port to link with Vizhinjam via inland waterway network

Kottayam Port and Container Terminal — India’s first inland container depot (ICD) — is looking at developing inland water connectivity with Vizhinjam Port to facilitate cargo transshipment. The proposal received a positive response from the Kerala government and port authorities held preliminary discussions with the Customs Commissioner, expressing confidence that there would be movement of at least 30 TEUs per day to Vizhinjam Port.

KM Roopesh Babu, General Manager, Kottayam Port and Container Terminal, said dredging is needed to develop a cargo route via Thrikkunnapuzha and the Thottappally Spillway. Quoting a recent market survey, he said cargo movement could increase by around 2,000 TEUs per month, meeting the transshipment needs of exporters in the Central Travancore region.

Kottayam port is being spotlighted as a key location for exporters of the region to complete customs clearance for international cargo before onward movement to Vizhinjam, potentially reducing congestion at the main port. Cargo movement to Vizhinjam through inland waterways would avert congestion on the highways, facilitating the timely arrival of cargo, Babu added.

As part of the port’s expansion plan, a reach stacker unit — valued at ₹4 crore — will be brought from Beypore shortly. Kottayam port, which commenced operations in 2012, has so far moved more than 25,000 TEUs to Vallarpadam Container Transshipment Terminal, earning ₹92 crore for the government by way of taxes. The main cargo includes natural rubber, rubber mats, clinkers and machinery, Babu said.

Meanwhile, the expansion plans of Kottayam port received a significant boost with a UK-based firm expressing interest in investing in the project. The three-stage development, at an investment of ₹20 crore, includes building infrastructure such as container yards, berths, and warehouses, and purchasing equipment.

Kottayam ICD functions as a dry port, with road and rail serving as its primary modes of cargo transit. Although its proposal to utilise inland waterways recently received regulatory approval, a majority of the cargo continues to be transported to Kochi by road.