History
The Harbour Engineering department was established in the year 1982. Prior to that, this department was functioning as an engineering wing in the Port Department. Then, the department focused more on the fisheries sector, where it needs basic infrastructure development in coastal area, and started investigation and design for new fishing harbours.
In fact, some of the initiatives in the fishing industry were begun in Nineteen fifties. In 1953, an Indo-Norwegian Project was established in Neendakara, near Quilon, Kerala for the development of fisheries of Kerala. Norwaygave technical and financial assistance to India to the tune of 120 million Norwegian kroner under this project.
The State of Kerala was formed in the year 1956 and the first Kerala Ministry under Sri. E. M. S. Namboodiripad, decided to prepare a master plan for the modernisation of marine transport and fisheries of Kerala. Indopol, a famous Polish consultancy, prepared and submitted the master plan, in which they proposed to construct fishing harbours at Neendakara, Munambam, Ponnani, Baypore, Thali, and Azheekal. The report also proposed to develop the Harbours at Neendakara, Baypore and Ponnani as Ports.
The structures constructed as part of the Indo-Norwegian Projects had several drawbacks, as the State did not have a specialised division for the execution of works in the marine sector. So a separate Harbour Engineering wingwas formed under the Port Department as Sri. K. S. Krishnan, a veteran designer in the Calcutta Port, as the Superintending Engineer. The wing undertook various projects and successfully completed. .
In the Year 1982, the Harbour Engineering wing of the Port Department was declared and formed as a separate Department under the Ministry of Fisheries and Port with its Headquarters at Kamaleswaram, Thiruvananthapuram. Sri. K. Sivaraja Vijyan was the first Chief Engineer.
After the commissioning of Neendakara Fishing Harbour, the Department undertook the management and operation of the Harbour. It was a major milestone in the history of Harbour Engineering Department. The Department successfully constructed the Thankassery fishing harbour, Vizhinjam Port, Munambam Fishing Harbour and a number of major and minor Harbours and Ports of Kerala.
The Harbour Engineering Department is now a major Engineering Department of Kerala. It has separate wings of Civil, Electrical and Mechanical sections. The department has now three Circles, 8 Divisions and 24 Sub-Divisions located in the Coastal Districts.