The ₹1,528-crore Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System (IURWTS) project to revive six navigable canals in the city to their past glory has got a shot in the arm, with the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) deciding to recommend the proposal to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
This was after Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) submitted a revised proposal for the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)-funded project, it is learnt. The Ministry is the final authority to approve the project. The CRZ clearance/approval has been pending for around a year owing to, among other reasons, the Authority’s demand to remove canal lock gates mentioned in the detailed project report (DPR).
All statutory clearances from the Pollution Control Board (PCB) and the State Wetlands Authority have been obtained for the project. Besides, queries raised by the KCZMA from time to time too were answered, official sources said.
Meanwhile, sources in the Authority said it had considered the revised DPR and decided to recommend the proposal to the Union Ministry, with the standard conditions.
