The APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial Park at Poundukadavu, which boasts, among other facilities, a dedicated cycling track, is all set to be opened.
An abandoned piece of land filled with shrubs until a few years ago, the area was transformed under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme projects of the city Corporation. The ₹5.5-crore project is spread over 4.5 acres in the Poundukadavu and Pallithura wards.
The park will have a cycle track, a paved area for walking, two toilet blocks, artificial pond, seating arrangements, landscaping, agro bazaar, and a plant nursery. When the project was first envisaged in 2018, the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) had handed over 16 cents of land for the project. The project has conserved most of the existing plant and tree species. The park, located close to the city’s IT corridor, is expected to attract the young crowd from the IT sector as well as cycling enthusiasts, who have been starved of suitable space for cycling.
“Much of the work has been completed and the park can be opened soon. A statue of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is also part of the project. This will be installed later,” said a Corporation official.
Change in original plan
The first phase of the project was inaugurated last year. After the work began in 2018, the city Corporation was forced to make design changes due to objections from the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority. The authority had flagged the original plan as violating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, as it was located close to the Parvathy Puthanar. The plan for an amenity centre, which was initially part of the project, was dropped due to this.
