Parliament Question: Port Development and Inland Waterways in Kerala

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1296 ANSWERED ON 06.02.2026 PORT DEVELOPMENT AND INLAND WATERWAYS IN KERALA

1296. SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:

Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state: प(cid:517)न,पोत प(cid:303)रवहन और जलमाग(cid:330) मं(cid:361)ी

(a) the current status and phase-wise progress of the Vizhinjam International Seaport Project in Kerala, including targets achieved so far and the revised timeline for full commissioning;

(b) the details of central assistance and investments, including Viability Gap Funding, extended to the Vizhinjam Port project and the expenditure incurred till date;

(c) the funds allocated, released and utilised during the last five years for the development of inland waterways in Kerala, particularly the Vembanad–Kuttanad system, under National Waterway programmes;

(d) the physical progress and components of inland waterway works undertaken, including dredging, terminals, navigation aids and passenger/freight movement; and

(e) the steps taken or proposed to enhance cargo handling, passenger transport, employment generation and environmental sustainability through port-led and inland waterway development in Kerala? ANSWER MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

(a): The Vizhinjam International Seaport Project is being developed under Public Private Partnership (PPP)model between the Government of Kerala (GoK) and Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL)for which a concession agreement was signed on 17.08.2015. The Phase I of the project became operational on 03.12.2024, with an annual handling capacity of 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The Page 1 of 3Government of Kerala and the AVPPL, through a supplementary concession agreement dated 28.11.2024, havedecided to implement Phase II, III and IV together as a single capacity augmentation phase with completion target of December 2028. This will increase the capacity to 3 million TEUs per annum with a potential to handle upto 5.7 million TEUs per annum through enhanced automation and operational efficiencies.

(b): The details of central assistance and investment including Viability Gap Funding

(VGF) extended to the Vizhinjam International Seaport Project and the expenditure

incurred till date are as under:.

(i) Viability Gap Funding by Govt. of India (GoI): Rs. 817.80 crore – 100% expenditure incurred

(ii) Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment by GoI:  FY 2023-24: Rs. 145.07 crore – 100% expenditure incurred  FY 2024-25: Rs. 1,134.52 crore – Rs. 1134.46 crore expenditure incurred  FY 2025-26: Rs. 341.30 crore sanctioned and first installment Rs.

225.258 crore released and Rs. 184 crore expenditure incurred as on

31.01.2026

(c): The details of expenditure incurred by Indian Waterways Authority of India(IWAI) during the last five years for development of inland waterways including Vembanad–

Kuttanad system in Kerala is as under:

Financial Year 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 Expenditure (in₹ crore) 21.52 10.83 3.82 4.76 15.26

(d) and (e): The IWAI has undertaken various works in the declared National Waterways (NW) i.e. NW-3, NW-8 and NW-9 in the state of Kerala along with several measures for enhancement of cargo handling, passenger movement and employment

generation which are as under:

(i) Re-construction of navigation lock cum bridge at Thrikunnapuzha in NW- 3 (progress: 52%);

(ii) Construction of new single lane bridge at Kovilthottam in Chavara in NW- 3 (progress: 80%);

(iii) Dredging and widening works including bank protection and removal of hard strata in Edapallikota – Kollam stretch in NW-3 (progress: 15%);

Page 2 of 3(iv) Construction of4 HDPE floating jetties at IWT terminals (progress: 10%) and construction of new survey launch (progress: 20%) in NW-3.

In addition, the IWAI has undertaken following initiatives for promotion of Inland Water Transport (IWT) in the state of Kerala:

(i) Constructed 9nos. Inland Water Transport Terminals (IWT) terminals cum godowns at Kottapuram, Aluva, Maradu, Vaikom, Thaneermukam, Alappuzha, Thrikunnapuzha, Kayamkulam and Kollam for cargo handling, and 2nos. Roll on - Roll off (Ro-Ro) terminals at Bolgatty and Willington Island in NW-3 for Ro-Ro service to de-congest Kochi city traffic;

(ii) Constructed 02 nos. Ro-Ro vessels through Cochin Shipyard Limited

(CSL), Kochi and operating between Bolgattyand Willington Island in NW- 3 through Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation, Kochi (Govt. of Kerala) to de-congest the road in Kochi city;

(iii) Navigational buoys installed in NW-3 (312 nos.), NW-8 (15 nos.) and NW- 9 (25 nos.) for 24 hours safe navigation of vessels;

(iv) Planned construction of 04 nos. HDPE jetties at IWT terminals (Vaikom, Thaneermukam, Alappuzha and Kayamkulam) for River Cruise Tourism in NW-3;

(v) Undertaken feasibility studies such as Urban Water Transport at Alappuzha and Kollam through Kochi Water Metro Ltd. ***** Page 3 of 3