T’puram: The harbour engineering department has initiated a fresh technical assessment to decide the future of the stalled coastal police boat berth project at Vizhinjam, after the structure developed cracks during construction due to heavy wave action.The department has engaged experts from Govt Engineering College, Thiruvananthapuram, to examine the revised proposal and recommend whether the damaged structure can be repaired and strengthened or whether a new design will be required.Officials said Rs 1.77 lakh has been remitted to the engineering college for carrying out the study. “We expect the expert team to inspect the site soon. The report is likely to be submitted within a month,” a senior HED official said.The project was conceived to provide the coastal police with a dedicated berth for mooring patrol boats at Vizhinjam, addressing a long-pending infrastructure gap. At present, the force does not have an exclusive docking facility for its vessels at the harbour. Officials said a permanent berth would enable quicker deployment of patrol boats during maritime emergencies, search-and-rescue missions, coastal surveillance and security operations.The berth project, estimated at Rs 60 lakh, is being funded with 50 lakh from the Centre and 10 lakh from the state govt. The department had earlier opted for a concrete block-based structure after a pile-supported design was found to be financially unviable within the available budget.However, portions of the structure reportedly shifted after being exposed to strong wave action during construction, resulting in cracks and forcing the department to suspend the work. The displaced concrete blocks were later removed from the site.The setback had triggered criticism over the suitability of the construction method for the sea conditions at Vizhinjam. Harbour engineering officials, however, maintained that the project has not been shelved and that construction will resume once the expert committee finalises its recommendations.“Our objective is to provide the coastal police with a safe and durable berthing facility. The technical evaluation is intended to ensure that the revised design can withstand the site conditions before work resumes,” the HED official said.
