Local forum lobby for recommending Poovar as shipyard

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:: A city-based development forum has urged the state government to recommend Poovar, a nearby beach resort, as the site for the proposed ship building and repair yard.

The Poovar-Pozhikkara region is the only place which is being considered by the Centre for the project, the members of ' Thiruvananthapuram Coastal View', the forum, told a press meet here today.

"Many recent studies and surveys have shown the coastal waters there has a natural depth of 30 metres. As the location is close to international shipping lane, ships can be brought to the yard with minimum detour," Amaladasan Perera, coordinator of the forum, said.

Availability of land is also not a problem as government itself has around 120 acres of revenue land in the region, he said.

Poovar-Pozhikkara region is well-connected to other places through railway and national highway and it is just 10 km away from the proposed monorail, coming up in the capital city, he said.

Marina is also another option as the world famed tourism hotspots Kovalam and Varkala are nearby, Perera added.