Kollam Port, which was set up at a cost of Rs 50 crore some years ago, failed to attract cargo ships so far. Some reports attribute the poor traffic at the port to lack of proper road connectivity and local resistance to any development programme.
Kerala government set up Kollam port within the Tangasseri breakwater complex and inaugurated it in 2007.
Reports indicate that the port attracted just two cargo ships besides a few vessels of the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard during the past five-and-a-half years.
In June 2009, the first cargo ship was MV Anakuri and it arrived to carry a load of construction materials comprising sand and ballast to Maldives.
The second cargo ship, MV Karuthal, a multi purpose 1,600 DWT container vessel, arrived almost four years later in March this year but it was merely part of a trial-run call at various small ports of the state.
Some reports indicate that there was a strong lobby working against the development of the Kollam Port. There were also fears from various quarters on whether such a lobby had influence in the Ports Department of the state.
The absence of a Customs office was initially cited as the first major hurdle for the port to become operational. This shortcoming was overcome in October 2008.
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