AFD shows interest in canal rejuvenation

Pre-feasibility study for revival of the Grand Canal under the Smart City project likely

December 20, 2017 12:30 am | Updated 08:17 am IST - PUDUCHERRY

 The Grand Canal that runs through the Boulevard in Puducherry is expected to sport a new look soon.

The Grand Canal that runs through the Boulevard in Puducherry is expected to sport a new look soon.

Agence Francaise Development (AFD), the French bilateral agency, has evinced interest in conducting a pre-feasibility study for the rejuvenation of the Grand Canal under the Smart City project in the Union Territory.

Following the visit by a high-level delegation led by Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar to France recently, AFD has agreed to conduct the study. A team from AFD will soon visit Puducherry to participate in a technical consultation workshop with the Puducherry Smart City Development Ltd and officials of various line departments and other stakeholders.

According to a top Government official, “Two urban experts and one tourism expert from France will visit Puducherry to participate in the technical workshop from January 22 to 24. The team will discuss the pre-feasibility study and visit the site. Once the project is found feasible, a feasibility study along with Detailed Project Report (DPR) would be taken up. The experts will also hold discussions with officials on the project theme, concept, site visit, financial model and the project cost.”

Recreational use

A three-km stretch of the Grand Canal will be taken up for beautification and will have pedestrian pathways on both sides.

“We are also trying to create recreational use of water in the Grand Canal,” the official said.

Four key projects, including the rejuvenation of the Grand Canal, are likely to figure during the discussions in January.

An integrated command and control centre, covering civic agencies, pedestrian pathways with a bicycle sharing network and the possibility of light rail transport are the other projects.

The Grand Canal was built as a stormwater drain by the French around 1765. It was designed to regulate the flow of rainwater towards the north-end into the Uppar drain and to the south into the sea near the new Light House. Over a period of time, the Grand Canal has become a sewage line in the heart of the town.

A long stretch of the Grand Canal was covered about 15 years ago. Now it is being used as a dump yard, parking space for vehicles and as a space for local market. A recent survey by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) revealed that around 250 houses were letting their waste water into the drains.

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