The second phase of the Marine Drive Development project, envisaged by the Greater Cochin Development Authority, will be built by connecting five islands from Chathiyath to Vaduthala, said Kuldip Singh, noted architect and the brain behind designing the Marine Drive.

He added that the second phase had been planned without affecting the environment. The detailed report of the Marine Drive second phase was unveiled at the Vision 2030 seminar, on Thursday.

According to Singh, the second phase of the Marine Drive will be built with minimum reclamation of land, minimum disturbance to marine life, minimum filling of land, minimum obstacles, maximum openness on both land and water and maximum waterfront and is aimed at generating solar and wind energies.

The phase will be built on a Public-Private-Participation model (PPP), with the builder owning a part of the project while GCDA will have the authority over the rest.

The road connecting the islands will have walkways and parking facilities at both sides.

The second phase is also envisaged at encouraging yachting, boating, public and private transportation and leisure activities.

Singh also added that the second phase would not have constraints like the first, as there was no restriction on the height of the buildings to be built on this stretch.

“The second phase will use technologically advanced construction with environmental balance. Ecology will not be disturbed while moving on with the second phase as it is being planned in such a way. The Marine Drive second phase is set to take Kochi to a new level of achievement,” he said.

3 projects pitched for Greater Kochi

Vision 2030, the seminar being conducted in Kochi to discuss the developmental prospects of the city in the coming years, witnessed experts including bureaucrats, people’s representatives and town planners pitching for three inevitable projects for the development – a metropolitan authority, suburban rail and ring road.

Bureaucrat Rajesh Kumar Singh, who presented a technical paper on setting up a Metropolitan Regional Development Authority for Kochi Area, insisted that an authority which has autonomous power over Greater Cochin is necessary for the holistic development of the region.

The area envisaged under the authority has Kodungalloor and Athirappilly in the North, Aryad in Alappuzha in the South, and Kuttampuzha in the East, with Kochi as the hub.

Areas under Ernakulam, Thrissur, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki fall under the authority, he said.
The officials also reiterated the need of the hour – ring road – to help the Metro Rail project to be a success.

According to the bureaucrats and the experts, the Metro Rail would be a disaster if the planners failed to provide access to it using a ring road.

The experts also insisted that a suburban rail should be given prominence like the Metro Rail project, to help people on the outskirts of the city.

The seminar also suggested the need to improve a set of 16 roads in Kochi which needed to be developed as corridors.

gcda’s vision 2030 begins

The Greater Cochin Development Authority’s two-day seminar titled ‘Vision 2030’ commenced in Kochi on Thursday.

It was inaugurated by Assembly speaker G.Karthikeyan.

In his inaugural speech, Karthikeyan said Kochi ought to be developed to international standards through unified progress.

“We always look at other cities and try to copy their styles without considering the circumstances here. Malayalis should change this attitude and work for a constructive change”, he said.

The speaker added that a city should not only be built by a few engineers and officials, but cultural and environment activists should have a sound role in it.

He also said we should change the trend of building roads just for the business community, and instead target the common man.