Rubber park in Kollam district to be ready by 2015

The Rubber Park, being set up at Pathanapuram in Kollam district, will be fully functional by mid 2015. The park will house 30-plus natural rubber-based units, which will provide direct employment to 1,500 people and indirectly to 4,500. The park is coming up on 52 acres of land provided by the state industries department with an estimated cost of Rs 16.25 crore.

According to Rubber Board chairman, Sheela Thomas, latex-based products like surgical - examination gloves, blood bags, tissue expander and catheters would be produced at the Pathanapuram park. This is the second such park in Kerala after Irapuram Rubber Park in Ernakulam district. The Irapuram park houses 34 units that produce rubber wood-based products.

She said the Rubber Board and Kerala State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (Kinfra) had formed a new company, Rubber Park India Private Limited, for setting up rubber-based units, especially rubber parks in Kerala. The Irapuram park provides services like single window clearances and research centre to extend quality certificates for various products, 25 Megawatt sub station and water supply system with an installed capacity of 1 million litre. The park provides direct employment to roughly 2,000 people.

The park will also provide the same services, except research centre. There will be a separate wing to provide marketing assistance to units besides a godown facility. Apart from latex-based goods, 10 products made out of dry rubber will be manufactured at the upcoming park. Various types of gaskets, transmission- conveyor belts and beadings will be produced with dried natural rubber.