Putting an end to the uncertainty that loomed over the construction of Rs 715 crore LPG import terminal project implemented by the Indian Oil Corporation at Puthuvype, District Collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla on Monday informed that the construction work of the plant, which had been stopped following protests since February 2017, would restart without much delay.

The district collector informed this while holding a review meeting on the proposed plant at Civil Station with the IOC officers, political representatives and other stakeholders.

“Since no higher courts including the Supreme Court have given a stay order for the construction activities, there is no obstruction to start the construction activities at the site. Also, all the precautionary measures have been taken before the construction, the residents should not worry about it and should cooperate with the project,” the Collector said.

IOC representative K P Dhandapani while clearing the concerns being raised by the residents about the safety of the plant said, “At present 13 such plants in the coastal belts are running successfully. The proposed plant is not the first one in the country.” Dhandapani also informed that a risk analysis survey has already been conducted in association with the state government.

“The terminal has been designed in a way to contain the impact of explosions within the walls using multi-layer safety. To avoid any untoward situation a smell detector for gas and fire will be set up in the plant,” he added.

The plant which would be set up at Vypeen is free from land acquisition as the Cochin Port Trust has allotted 37 acres of land on the island on lease to the Indian Oil Corporation for setting up the plant.

Even they had received all Union and State government approvals, including from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests during the year 2010 itself. It won’t put any restriction on the fishermen community to engage in fishing activity along the coastal line, the meeting concluded.

The state government had appointed a committee headed by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies Director Dr N Poorna Chandra Rao to review the concerns being raised by the public regarding the plant. Based on the findings of the committee which included other experts, the government has brought a slew of measures for setting up the plant.ADM in charge K Chandrasekharan Nair, Kochi Taluk Tahsildar K V Ambrose, police officers, Action council members, people’s representatives also participated in the meet.

LPG import terminal
Total project cost

A715 crore
Multi-User Liquid Terminal (MULT) jetty for unloading LPG completed at I225 crore.

LPG storage terminal at I490 crore, yet to be finished. Construction stopped at 40 per cent completion in February 2017.

Safety concerns & worries over environmental impact led to a high-pitched local resistance.

The annual revenue earnings expected from the MULT to Cochin Port Trust after commissioning is I50 crore. Planned completion in 18 months.

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