Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 1 (IANS): Private multi-port operator Gautam Adani failed to keep his September 1 promise of berthing the first ship from the Vizhinjam Port, near here, on Saturday. A tremendous ammount of work still remains.

Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd (AVPPL) had on December 5, 2015 targeted September 1, 2018 to finish the first phase of the Kerala port.

Adani had said it would be operational in 1,000 days, which was Saturday.

The then Oommen Chandy government had inked the 2015 agreement for the international multi-purpose deepwater seaport project at a cost of Rs 7,525 crores. Adani Ports, which was the lone bidder had sought a Rs 1,635 crore grant for this.

Vizhinjam Mother Port Action Committee member Elias John said: "What has happened is the interest shown by the Chandy government is absent with the present government.

"If the things continue to proceed like this, they will be unable to even meet the 1,425 days deadline."

The delay is being attributed to a serious shortage of limestone required for building the breakwaters. Then there was Cyclone Ockhi which landed a huge beating in 2017 and took away 150 metres of the constructed breakwater.

According to the agreement, Adani would operate the port for 40 years, extendable by 20 more years, while the state government would get a portion of the revenue from the port after 15 years.