The city Corporation has been forced to make design changes in its plan to develop a park in the Station Kadavu – Pound Kadavu area under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), due to objections from the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA). The authority has flagged the original plan as violating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, as it is located close to the Parvathy Puthanar.
Original plan
The original plan for a green space stretching to 960 metres, with an outlay of ₹5.5 crore, had among other facilities an amenity centre, children's play area, walkway, cycle track and a toilet block.
According to Corporation officials the plan for the amenity centre, one of the major components of the project, has now been dropped.
As per the reworked plan, the total expense of the project now stands at ₹2.25 crore.
“The plan was presented at the recent director board meeting of the Coastal Zone authority. They made it clear that no major construction activity, except the toilet block, will be allowed. The Corporation has also been asked to get a CRZ status report on the area from the Centre for Earth Science Studies. Once we remit the fee of ₹3.5 lakh to conduct the study, the status report can be expected within a minimum of 3 weeks to maximum of six months. The work can be tendered after that,” says a Corporation official.
The AMRUT officials meanwhile will also have to award all the works under AMRUT scheme before November 30.
So, the officials are also exploring the possibilities of awarding the work as per the new plan before the status report is received.
The Corporation had earlier obtained the necessary clearances from the Public Works Department, the KSEB and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) for the project.
The Major Irrigation Department though insisted on getting CRZ clearance, following which the plan was presented to the authority.
In other projects
The savings from the park project and those expected from the sewerage and public transport projects will be made use of in other projects under the AMRUT scheme.
