The visionary who foresaw the potential of Vizhinjam to turn 100

The visionary who foresaw the huge potential of the strategic location of the Vizhinjam Port in the international maritime trade map with its deep draft that puts it in direct competition with some of the ports in south Asia, turns 100 on Friday even as Kerala’s anxious wait for the dream project of the Vizhinjam international seaport still continues. Menon, an engineer who retired from the Kerala Public Works department, was part of the team of engineers who started the survey for developing Vizhinjam into a major seaport as per the orders of Diwan Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer during the reign of the erstwhile Travancore dynasty. He later worked with various engineering departments and projects such as the Pallivasal Hydro Electric project for the Sengulam Dam and the Mattupetty Dam, and also served as a Mechanical Supervisor in the Agricultural department and the PWD Central Circle. Mr. Menon was then promoted to Indo Norwegian Project as Pipe Factory Engineer and later as Quantity Supervisor in Trivandrum Architecture and Town Planning Division and later retired from service as Executive Engineer of the Water Regulation Division, Palakkad.