Though the government is only in the final stages of selecting a transaction advisor for the second phase of the Capital Region Development plan, the Trivandrum Development Authority (TRIDA) has decided to go ahead with providing outer ring roads which are part of the plan.
“The empowered committee headed by the Chief Secretary is in the process of shortlisting the advisor for preparing a detailed project report. In a few days, we will select the firm and probably launch the scheme by the year-end. However, we will immediately begin the road construction, which is a component of the plan,” chairman of the authority P.K. Venugopal told The Hindu .
The focus in the second phase would be to provide at least two outer ring roads, construct parking lots, rejuvenate rivers and waterbodies, modernise parks, tree planting, improve broadband connectivity, and strengthen heritage committee and sewerage system, he said.
TRIDA has already initiated proceedings for the outer ring road on the Sasthamangalam-Vattiyurkkavu stretch. The authority has been appointed as the nodal agency for land acquisition for the 12-kilometre road, connecting Sasthamangalam-Vattiyurkavu, Vattiyurkavu-Vazhayila and Vattiyurkavu-Peroorkada, Mr. Venugopal said.
“Last week, we inspected the site along with officials from the Revenue and Public Works. We plan to start land acquisition shortly,” he said. Soon, the authority, in association with Forest Department, would embark on an exercise to plant saplings in the city. The aim was to plant at least one lakh trees in five years, he said.
