‘Work on Vizhinjam port to resume within a week’

The construction of the Adani Vizhinjam port will resume within a week, the chief executive officer of the Kerala government's implementing agency for the project said after protests by fisherfolk were called off on Tuesday after 138 days. JAYAKUMAR, who leads Vizhinjam International Seaport (VISL), told Shine Jacob that the country is suffering an annual loss of around $2,500 crore in foreign currency and revenue due to the impact of the project not being finished. 

- JAYAKUMAR

How much economic loss did you suffer? 

We have to put in all our efforts to make up for the lost time. We have to catch up with the schedule. That is what the concessionaire (Adani Group) should do; they will have to remobilise and resume the work. We expect to restart the work within a week's time. Material supply will start soon as some load came two weeks back. That load may be stocked somewhere.

We haven't worked out on the economic side of it. It needs a lot of discussion. We will have to see how to move forward. After a period of one week, things will become more clear. From October onwards, it was a good weather season. Now, we are already in December and close to two months of this ideal season we have lost. We have to also start the preparatory arrangements now.

The Adani group fears that the project might overshoot its December 2023 deadline. What is the status about giving an extension?