Tue Apr 29 19:23:51 UTC 2025: ## Vizhinjam Port’s Grand Opening Overlooks Pioneering Survey Team
**Thiruvananthapuram, April 30, 2025** – As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to commission the Vizhinjam International Seaport on Friday, a poignant story of overlooked pioneers is emerging. The port’s history stretches back far beyond the recent construction, with initial surveys conducted in the mid-1940s by a team led by the then-Diwan of Travancore, Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer.
Among the team members was G.G. Menon, a now 102-year-old retired Kerala Public Works Department engineer, who, along with his colleagues, braved the sea in small catamarans to conduct crucial depth and tidal surveys. Despite the project’s initial delays and restarts over decades, including stalled attempts in the 1990s and 2000s, Menon’s contribution, and that of his team, seems to have been forgotten.
His son, Sasikumar Menon, expressed disappointment that neither he nor his father received any recognition or invitation to the opening ceremony. The initial vision, according to Sasikumar, encompassed a far-reaching plan to link the Vellayani lake to the port, a testament to the foresight of the original survey team. The port’s eventual realization, after several setbacks and renewed bids, is now set to transform India’s global maritime trade. However, the story highlights a gap between the ambitious vision of the past and the present celebration, raising questions about the acknowledgement of those who laid the groundwork for this significant infrastructure project.
First Piper 