The Times of India              20.12.2013 

GCDA moots Rs 80 crore tunnel aquarium at Marine Drive

KOCHI: No one can blame the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) for lack of ambition. The authority, which recently abandoned its dolphinarium project following opposition from environmentalists, has now come up with a plan to build a 'Tunnel Marine Aquarium and Entertainment Park' at Marine Drive near Goshree bridge. The Rs 80-crore seven-storey project will come up on the 1.30 acre owned by the development authority. Tunnel aquariums are popular tourist attractions in countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.

"The executive committee of the GCDA has given approval for the project. We will soon invite technical and financial bids for executing it," said GCDA chairman N Venugopal.

The project, approved by the executive committee, includes the tunnel marine aquarium, research and seminar centre, 7D theatre, underwater restaurant, children's play area, snack bar and fish sale counter. The tunnel marine aquarium will showcase ocean habitat with about 1,000 varieties of fish. "It will consist of a 30-metre-long acrylic walkthrough tunnel, which will have an automatic travelator with a 180-degree view," he added.

The research centre will have an audio-visual room, laboratory and library for educational purposes. The amphitheatre-style 7D theatre will have a seating capacity for 30 persons, and the underwater restaurant will accommodate about 50 people. There will be skywalk on the sixth floor, connecting one end of the plot to the other, which will depict the cultural heritage of the state. GCDA officials said that the project would be implemented on a public-private-partnership (PPP) model. The private partner will construct and run the entertainment park. It will have to provide supporting amenities and will be responsible for "commissioning, operation and maintenance" for a period of 25 years.

The private agency, selected through a tender, will have to prepare a detailed project report (DPR). An annual licence fee will have to be paid to GCDA.

The authority maintained that the "bidding process and does not require administrative sanction from the state government". Speaking on environmental concerns, GCDA chairman N Venugopal said, "Separate permission will be required for bringing in marine species such as piranha, seahorse and penguins. The penguins will be brought only in the second phase of the project."

According to him, there was no need for "environmental clearance for the project and its location will not fall under the area covered by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Act".

"Many multi-storeyed buildings are being constructed along the Marine Drive and nearby areas. Hence, GCDA does not face any such issues. Moreover, these are air-conditioned buildings and the tunnels does not disturb the environment," he said.

Earlier, GCDA was forced to shelve the dolphinarium project mooted at Marine Drive due to stiff opposition from environmentalists. The Animal Welfare Board of India had instructed state governments against sanctioning dolphinariums or dolphin parks as the mammal was a protected species and their capture and import were prohibited by law.