If all goes as planned, the marshy lands of Pazhangattuchal, located on the outskirts of Kakkanad, will soon enter into the list of weekend destinations for the city folks.
Aimed at tapping the tourism potential of the IT city, the Thrikkakara Municipality is all set to kick-start works on the long-pending Pazhangattuchal tourism project earlier next month. The project has already received a nod from the municipal council, which also allotted a fund of Rs. 1 crore towards its preparatory works.
Master plan “A master plan of the project, which comes at a property of 8.94 acres, is ready and the cost of implementation is estimated to be around Rs.10 crore. Preliminary works on the project have already begun and the project is scheduled for completion within the next 12 months,” said Shaji Vazhakkala, Chairman, Thrikkakara Municipality.
The project envisages development of the huge water body at the location, which currently lies in a deserted condition and upgradation of infrastructural facilities such as boats and benches. The area surrounding the lake will have a food court, a walking and jogging track, in addition to a community hall and a swimming pool.
“The development of the water body will benefit the vast tracts of paddy fields that lie around the location while the boating facility is aimed at drawing tourists, especially the IT crowd,” the chairman added.
Eviction drive Recently, the municipality carried out an eviction drive at the property under its possession and retrieved about 17 cents of land from the encroachers. Originally envisaged a few years back, the project had been put on hold following the elevation of Thrikkakara grama panchayat into a municipality.
The municipal authorities are currently in consultations with owners of the property located around the project site. “Our immediate priority is to open a new, wide road to the location and hope to clinch a deal with them before commencing the works,” said Lissy Poulose, local councillor.
Meanwhile, Thrikkakara municipality is working on a plan to construct a municipal building and inter-district bus station at a three-acre property near the Ernakulam District Panchayat Office in Kakkanad. The works on the project are also scheduled to begin alongside the tourism project.
