The Hindu Business Line : KSINC bids to cash in on tourism potential

THE Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), pioneers of inland navigation in the State waterways, is diversifying into various other sectors in order to remain competitive in the changed business environment.

The company has embarked upon tourism-related activities linking waterways in a major way considering the State's tourism potential. Besides, it is also venturing into other areas such as boat building, barge construction, dry-docking, and participating in the development works of National Waterways No. 3 (NW-3).

The decline in cargo movement through the waterways and the likely erosion of revenue from the passenger boats in future due to the completion of bridges connecting islands to the mainland has prompted the company to look for other prospective areas for survival, Mr Satheesh, K.N., Managing Director, KSINC, said. The initiatives taken in this regard would definitely help to increase its profits and the company seeks to tap the vast potential available in utilising the inland waterways, he said.

Considering the importance of water-linked tourism, he said the Corporation is planning to operate tourist boats, speed boats and luxury vessels for conducting onboard events and conferences. KSINC has recently leased a foreign luxury yacht - Shark 33 - with a length of 33 metres and a speed of 12 nautical miles for tourism activities and it will be made available on a rent of Rs 10,000 per day and Rs 3,000 per hour.

Likewise, the Corporation has taken over the luxury mini-ship Sagar Rani from the State Tourism Department for backwater as well as coastal tourism. Repair works of this vessel at a cost of Rs 40 lakh are in progress in the KSINC dry-dock yard at Thoppumpady as the ship was in a sunk condition at Bolghatty Palace since 1988. The ship with a capacity of 90 passengers, will have an air conditioned conference hall, cafeteria, upper deck with dancing floor facilities.

KSINC has also taken over the slipway complex under the State Agriculture department at Thoppumpady on a long-term basis to carry out repair works and for building boats. The construction of 12 steel boats with a 100-passenger capacity for the State Water Transport Department is already in progress and these boats will be deployed in the waterways in the Alappuzha sector.

According to Mr Satheesh, the Corporation has also signed an MoU with Inland Waterways Authority of India to partake in the developmental activities in the NW-3. As part of this, it had started up repairing of the 30-feet lock at Thanneermukkam. The technical problem at the lock has resulted in the stoppage of the newly introduced cargo barge service from Kochi to Alappuzha, he said. It had also taken up the contract work for channel marking in every 50 metres in the NW-3, bank protection, buoy making and channel lighting.

Asked about the decline in cargo movement through waterways, he said dredging works in various areas especially between Kollam-Alappuzha stretches have to be completed for the smooth movement of barges. This was the main reason for the lack of initiative from concerned parties to transport cargo through waterways.

Regarding the financial performance, Mr Satheesh said that the company is continuously making profits since last few years. It had registered a profit of Rs 22 lakh in the financial year 2002-03 as against Rs 12.45 lakh in the previous fiscal.

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