Giving the much-needed fillip to the capital’s tourism sector, Kerala Tourism has given the nod for nine projects spread over Kovalam, Veli, Akkulam and the Kanakakunnu Palace, listed by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) as a heritage monument.
The projects, estimated to cost ₹71.58 crore, include the ₹9.98-crore a Convention Centre at Veli tourist village, a ₹5.99-crore Digital Museum at the Kankakunnu Palace, ₹9.98-crore Chala Heritage Street and development of the beach in Varkala at ₹8.99 crore.
The Chala market, the oldest commercial establishment, will get a facelift in two years.
The market will be revamped by Habitat Technology Group under architect G. Shankar on the lines of Kozhikode’s iconic Mittayi Theruvu. In Veli tourist village, projects totalling ₹20 crore are to be executed. The State-level Working Group on Tourism has entrusted the work of the ₹9.98-crore Convention Centre to the Uralungal Labour Contract Society with a time frame of one year.
An Ecopark and Coastal Walkway will be created in the village for ₹4.78 crore in 12 months. An Urban Park is to come up in the village in one year at a cost of ₹4.99 crore. The century-old Kanakakunnu Palace, an erstwhile durbar and banquet hall of the Travancore royal family, is to be conserved at a cost of ₹3 crore.
The famed Grove and Light House beaches in Kovalam will get a facelift at a cost of ₹9.9 crore.
A yoga park, toilets, an 88-seater boat-shaped seating facility, paved walkway, cafe, cycle track, garden, roller-skating ring, police aid post and life guard kiosks and CCTV coverage are to be created on the beaches in one year.
In Akkulam tourist village, the ₹9.34-crore works will be completed in 18 months. A new entrance, compound wall, new musical fountain, waterfalls, 12 D theatre, Hill top amphi theatre and revamp of the children’s park figure among the works.
More facilities will be created on the Papansham beach facing the laterlite cliff in Varkala at a cost of ₹8.99 crore in 18 months. The Working Group has given the nod for the ₹4.62-crore works for the development of the Shanghumughom beach and for Urban Plaza to be completed in one year.
Overall development
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the government is aiming for the overall development of the tourist destinations in the capital as part of increasing tourist arrivals.
