Women Handling Heavy Containers With Joysticks, Bridging Gender Gap at Adani Vizinjham Port

Adani Vizinjham Port Private Limited (AVPPL) has said at least half of its staff engaged in handling container movements and operating cranes are women, helping in creating a diverse workforce.

"Out of nearly 20 employees that handle the containers movement through fully automated operations from an office at the dock, nine at present and one more to join soon are women, working in shifts and handling port operations through joysticks," a spokesman for the Adani Vizinjham Port Private Limited (AVPPL) told PTI.

The development of the international seaport by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone and integration of automated technology has proved to be a boon for the local women. The port off the Arabian Sea has opened an unconventional avenue for them as the workers are able to operate giant cranes with ease using joysticks, handling container loading and unloading just like playing with a game console.

"I belong to Vizinjham town (village) and after completing diploma course, I got an opportunity to work in my hometown only on an international seaport," Sunitha Raj L said while handling containers carrying cargo through the fully automated system.

"We are not facing any difficulty in working here in shifts and giving our best to prove ourselves," she said.

Her colleague Steffi also shared similar views.

According to their shift manager Nanda Kumar, "The women are performing and giving their best in handling yard cranes. We are also promoting them, based on their performance to the next level in handling container operations." The Adani Skill Development Center, run by Adani Foundation and based in Vizinjham, is providing necessary skills to the local youth and so far, around 300 locals are employed by the Adani Group in various positions at the seaport.

Vizhinjam International Seaport at the south-east entrance to the Arabian Sea, en-route a major maritime trade route, is one of the country's most convenient gateways for west-bound container transshipment, the spokesman said.

The port is equipped with 1st Intelligent Smart and Indigenous Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS).

The Phase-1 of the port is being established with a cargo handling capacity of 1 million TEUs annually and has total ground slot for 7,200 TEU.

Within the first 11 months of commercial operation, Vizhinjam could handle 12.5 lakh TEUs of cargo, which is far more than its annual capacity of 10 lakhs TEUs as per the concession agreement. More than 580 ships including international vessels have berthed at the facility in this short span of time, AVPPL said.