Marine institute to come up in Kerala

The Kerala government is planning to set up a multi-faceted marine tourism project at Puthuvype, the southern tip of Vypin island and close to Vallarpadam Transshipment Container Terminal (VTCT). The state is also planning to set up a Marine Biological Research Institute (MBRI), which would be the largest of its kind in India, in association with the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, in the same premises.

Talking to Business Standard, S Sarma, minister for fisheries and registration, informed that the department had already acquired 50 acres of land at Puthuvype and 10 acres of land had been handed over to the Centre to set up the institute. Soil testing and other preliminary work is in progress at the site. The institute is likely to be functional by 2011.

The government has also initiated action to set up the first marine oceanarium of the country at Puthuvype. Spread over 20 acres, the estimated investment on the oceanarium is Rs 300 crore. This will be set up with global standards and will be in line with similar projects in Singapore and the US. A sea-based international convention centre will come up in the remaining 20 acres.