Vallarpadamport, vallarpadam terminal, Smart city, kochi tourism

Kochi: Six months after its commissioning, the country’s first ever International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadam is yet to commence actual operations
With hundreds of containers held up at ICTT and a number of International companies backing out, the terminal is in real crisis.
As many as 416 containers are held up at ICTT for more than a month due to lack of feeder vessles. Already some international shipping companies- CMA CGM, Maersk and ZIM- which had begun mainline operations to ICTT Vallarpadam, went back Colombo for transshipment due to the delay in sending containers from here to destination ports, sources said.
While the terminal is projected to handle an estimate of 7.75 lakh TEUs (Twenty foot equivalent units) of containers in 2011, the 13 available Indian feeder vessels together has a capacity to carry only 12, 156 TEUs at any point of time.
Also these 13 vessels, from SCI, Relay shipping, Gati, Seaways, Jindal and Caravel touch ICTT Vallarpadam only occasionaly.
Due to lack of feeder vessels, the container traffic has not increased much even after the commissioning of ICTT, officials said.
“Compared to the corresponding period last year, there is an increase of only about 4 percentage in container handling. It is much less than what we actually projected to achieve this year. The depth has not become an issue for vessels to call at ICTT,”. Cochin Port Trust Chairman Paul Antony said.
However, stastistics so far dosen’t paint a rosy picture.
While 1,30,887 containers were handled during the April- August 2010, this year only 1,36,736 containers were handled
In 2010 about about 3.12 lakh TEUs of containers were handled here. DP World, the prometers of ICTT Vallarpadam, has projected this to be 7.75 lakh TEUs in 2011, which would rake in 109.91 crore to the cochin port trust.
If no action is talen to exclude cargo vessels from the Cabotage law – which prevents foreign flag vessels to tranship containers between Indian Ports – ICTT Vallarpadam may not survive as a transhipment terminal.
It has been pointed out that the Parliamentary Standing Committe on Cabotage has resolved that the law should be relaxed to enable transhipment of containers through foreign flag vessels from Vallarpadam.
The Director General of Shipping has also recommended opening up of containerisedcargo to foreign flag vessels.

National shrine and Basilica

A major pilgrim centre for Christians, Church of Our Lady of Ransom is one of the oldest European Churches in India built by the Portuguese Missionaries. The church dedicated to the Holy Mary of Vallarpadam popularly known as Vallarapadath Amma, is located in the middle of Vallarpadam, a small idyllic island on the Vembanad lake, 1 km north from the mainland Kochi (Ernakulam), Kerala. Today the church elevated to the status of a Basilica as well as a National shrine attracts more than five lakh people including pilgrims and tourists, annually. One of the three Basilicas in Kochi, the Church is under the diocese of Verapoly (Varappuzha). The church earlier accessible only by boat is now linked to the mainland Ernakulam, and the islands of Bolghatty, Mulavukad and Vypin by three adjacent bridges called the Goshree bridges. Vallarpadam island, about 3.9 km in length and 1.5 km in width is located between the islands of Mulavukad and Vypin, and to the east of Bolghatty island. Vallarpadam container Terminal, a proposed project here could make this small island one of the best hub ports in the world

Pathanamthitta is a district in the state of Kerala that is famous for its natural beauty, fairs and festivals. A Tour to Pathanamthitta gives you the wonderful chance to view nature at its very best. Pathanamthitta.The vast stretches of forests, the meandering rivers and the rural topography combine to create an irresistible charm. Pathanamthitta is a small city which is a thickly forested region dotted with mountains and rivers and temples.

Places of Tourist interest in Pathanamthitta

Aranmula

The Parthasarathi Temple, dedicated to Sree Krishna, on the banks of the holy River Pamba, attractions large crowds of devotees. The famous Aranmula snake boat race is held on the last day of the weeklong Onam festival. The ‘Vijinana Kalavedi” at Aranmula imparts training in the traditional arts like ‘Kathakali’, classical dances, classical music as well as ‘Kalaripayattu’. Foreign tourists stay here for long periods to get a first hand knowledge of the culture of Kerala. The Parthasarathi Temple here also has fine murals from the 18th century. Aranmula is also very famous for its hand made mirrors of polished metal called ‘ Aranmula Kannadi’, which is a unique craft and not found anywhere else in the world.

Sabarimala (Pilgrim Centre)
One of the most famous pilgrim centres in India, Sabarimala is situated on the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats, at an altitude of 914 m above sea level and is accessible only by foot, from Pamba (4kms). The hold shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over India, from different castes, creed, especially from other parts of South India. Mandalapooja and Makaravilakku are the two main events of the pilgrim season, which is from Nov to mid Jan. The Temple remains closed during the rest of the year, except for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during ‘Vishu’ in April. Sabarimala is surrounded by hazardous hills like Karimala and Neelimala. Men of all ages are allowed inside the temple but women only below 10 years and above 50 years of age are permitted inside.

Perumthenaruvi
Perumthenaruvi is a famous waterfall on the banks of the River Pamba. Here, the water flows down a rocky bed into a ravine 60 to 100 feet deep. The place is a favourite picnic spot for both domestic and foreign tourists.

River Pamba
This is the main halting point on the way to Sabarimala, the famous pilgrim centre. It is also known as ‘Thriveni Sangamam’, the meeting point of three rivers.