The Kerala government has begun preparations to set up a network of logistics parks in Vizhinjam and surrounding areas, with the aim of supporting businesses linked to the international transhipment port that is set to open next month.

Awareness campaigns are being organised in local communities, including Venganoor, to inform residents about the benefits of the project, its employment potential and regional development opportunities.

The logistics parks, covering 600 acres in Vizhinjam, Venganoor and Balaramapuram, are being developed after approval of a logistics park policy by the state government. About 600 acres are being acquired from the area using a land pool facility.

To minimise resistance to land acquisition, awareness programmes will help residents understand the benefits of land pooling, a source said. While the government plans to formulate regulations for the project, including land acquisition processes, this is expected to take time.

Land pooling is aimed at maximizing benefits to land owners, with the provision that land will not be acquired unless 70% of the owners give their consent. The logistics park will enhance the ability of private companies to transport goods to and from Vizhinjam Port, facilitated by the road and the proposed rail link from Balaramapuram railway station.

In addition, the government is constructing a 629 km long coastal road connecting Vizhinjam with Kollam and Kasaragod. An official confirmed that the Vizhinjam-Kazhakootam stretch will soon be developed into a logistics corridor.

Currently, the port functions as a ship-to-ship transhipment facility, where containers are transferred from larger vessels to feeder vessels for transport to other ports in the country. Once rail and highway connections are operational, containers will also be moved by train and truck.

Sources noted that the region will only realize its potential once containers are efficiently transported overland from the port. The logistics park will enable companies to process goods unloaded from ships and manage goods retrieved from other locations for shipment. This development is expected to create numerous additional business opportunities, which will boost government support for the logistics park.