With just two short blasts of faint sirens, Zhen Hua 15, the first ship to call at the Vizhinjam International Seaport, scripted a new chapter in the maritime history of Kerala on Sunday.
A rousing reception was accorded as the vessel carrying container-handling cranes to the under-construction port berthed in the presence of a host of dignitaries and a 5,000-odd crowd.
After flagging off the berthing, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said nothing was impossible for Kerala. “The call of the first ship at the port once again proves that any crisis, no matter how big, can be overcome through unity. The new port is likely to bring in development beyond our imagination. The port will raise the standard of living of the people of Kerala to that of middle-income earners in the developed countries,” he said. The port would be one of the State’s major contributions to the nation, he added.
