The Hindu 09.11.2010
Uphill task for new Mayor
Biju Govind
| Implementing Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project |
Acquisition of land and rehabilitation of traders are major problems
Rs.154. 65-crore project is funded by Asian Development Bank
Kozhikode: A daunting challenge awaits the Mayor-elect A.K. Premajam, who is to be sworn in on Tuesday, in implementing the programmes under the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) in the city.
Acquisition of land and rehabilitation of traders will be major tasks involved for executing the upcoming components under the project. Braving the odds when digging of roads takes place for the construction of the urban drainage and sewerage and sanitation system will be another challenge. The KSUDP programmes, financed by the Asian Development Bank, cost Rs.154. 65 crore.
The KSUDP has five components of which a major chunk of the funds (Rs.60.39 crore) has been earmarked for the sewerage and sanitation. The amount proposed for drainage is Rs.30.74 crore. As of now the projects under road and transportation (Rs.37.98 crore); solid waste management (Rs.5.54 crore) and community development (Rs. 20 crore) are nearing completion.
Deadline
The State government and the ADB had reached an agreement in 2006 and the implementation of the projects began a year later. Some of these projects still need the approval of the Empowered Committee. The deadline for completing all the components is June 2012, senior officials told The Hindu here on Monday.
Land has to be acquired from shopkeepers located on the Oyitty Road for developing the junction linking the Cherotty Road to the Court Road. This junction is one of the bottle-necks near the Kozhikode railway station.
The most important component envisaged under the KSUDP is the sewerage and sanitation package. As per the project, the city has been divided into five zones. But the project depending on the availability of funds will be executed only in two zones in four packages.
A 27 million litres per day (mld) Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) has to be established near the Sarovaram Bio-Park in a 13.5-acre land located by the Kerala Water Authority.
However, officials said that land had to be acquired from seven individuals and an equal number from government departments for setting up pumping stations and lifting stations for the project. The Revenue Department was yet to issue preliminary notification under Section 4 (1) of Land Acquisition Act. Further, additional funds had to be mobilised as project cost escalated, they said.
Besides, people residing in the two zones will be faced with hardship once digging of roads, right in the middle, during the implementation of the project. One zone is lying between the railway line and the Arabian Sea and the other between the railway track and the Canoly canal.
It may be recalled that residents had protested when air pollution increased and traffic went haywire following the digging of roads for the Japanese drinking water project two years ago, the officials said.
Another yet to be started component is urban drainage system. This also involved digging of roads but to a lesser extent. The drainage will come up on the area between the western side of Canoly canal and eastern side of the sea and from the Kallayi river to the old Corporation office, they said.
