The Hindu : CM to supervise capital city development

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

CM to supervise capital city development

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM July 16. The Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, will personally supervise the drawing up and implementation of the plans for the comprehensive development of Thiruvananthapuram city, in addition to chairing the meetings of the ministerial sub-committee that has been formed for the purpose.

It was Mr. Antony himself who revealed this while inaugurating the city's sewerage augmentation scheme at the Kuriathy pumphouse today evening.

He said: ``The city needs to be given back its proud past as a clean and green city. The coming of the OECF drinking water scheme will take care of the drinking water demand for quite some time. The work of giving sewerage facility to the entire city will be taken up in phases. The roads here need upkeep, more flyovers are needed, the problems of power need addressing. After Onam, I will personally be supervising programmes aimed at giving the status of a capital city to Thiruvananthapuram. ''

Mr Antony added that the State was keeping up the pressure on the Centre to get a second terminal for the city's international airport to ensure its development.

In his address, the Irrigation Minister, T. M. Jacob, said the OECF-aided drinking water scheme would be launched in the State on November 1, the `Keralappiravi Day'.

Mr Jacob said that a sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 60 mld would soon be constructed at the Sewage Farm at Muttathara to address the problems of sewage treatment presently being faced by the Kerala Water Authority. As much as Rs. 350 crores were needed to bring the entire area under the purview of the drainage network. This would be taken up in a phased manner. By this December, the KWA would commission a sewage scheme to serve the D-Block in the city encompassing areas such as Plamoodu, Pattom and Kesavadasapuram. In two years, the Chackai section would come under the drainage system. By 2003-2004, areas such as Pangode, Vattiyoorkavu would be serviced by a main parallel sewage line, he said.

Mr. Jacob earlier switched on the new pump at Kuriathi.

In his address, the Cooperation Minister, M. V. Raghavan who inaugurated the new 11-KV sub-station at the pumphouse , said the development of Vizhinjam port could catalyse the development of Thiruvananthapuram as not only a capital city, but also as an industrial city.

B. Vijayakumar, MLA, presided over the meeting which was attended, among others, by the city Mayor, J. Chandra, the KWA MD, R. Ramanujam, and K. Mohankumar, MLA.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

CM to supervise capital city development

Smart ration cards scheme in limbo

Sewerage for major areas in capital

Panel formed

Irregularities in fund utilisation: panel

`Don't disconnect water supply'

`IT Kerala' expo to be a big draw