Kochi: The Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-RO) vessels to be launched by the Kochi Corporation in Fort Kochi-Vypeen route would be delayed by six months after the Kerala Ports Department rejected the engine imported for building the jhankars on safety grounds. Two-double ended vessels, costing Rs 7.5 crore, are scheduled to be rolled out by next June.
The agreement in this regard was signed between the Kochi Corporation and the Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) on March 3, 2015. “The vessels were scheduled to be launched 15 months from the date of signing the agreement. However, the engines imported for the construction of vessels were rejected by the Ports Department on safety grounds. Now it would take another six months,” said deputy mayor T.J. Vinod.
The Ro-Ro jhankars are designed in such a way that vehicles can be driven on and off the vessel easily unlike the current one. The ferry that is operated at present is a single-ended one with the engine and ramp in the front end. For entering the vessel, four-wheelers have to take reverse mode and park them onboard the ferry for disembarking.
The reverse entry and parking consumes considerable time, resulting in a long queue of vehicles during peak hours. Currently, two jhankars are being operated in the Fort Kochi-Vypeen section. There were complaints that the contractor has deployed vessels that are over 10 years old.
There were numerous occasions when jhankars developed technical glitches midway through the section cutting across the ship channel and got swept away by undercurrent towards sea. Meanwhile, the Corporation has started renovation works of the jhankar jetties at Fort Kochi and Vypeen. “The Rs 7.5-crore jetty reconstruction work has begun. Currently the soil test is progressing,” said Mr Vinod.
