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Old Posted Feb 9, 2007, 6:35 AM
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A master plan for development

Steps have been initiated to gear up Kozhikode to assume the status of a metro. Biju Govind analyses the master plan drawn up by the civic authorities as part of the initiative.
EVER SINCE Kozhikode began to shed its tag of an overgrown town and looked forward to being a metropolis in North Kerala, the civic authorities have been confronted with the problem of inadequate space for infrastructure development of the city.

But now a master plan for the city, drawn up last month, gives a glimmer of hope to the authorities concerned to utilise space in a pragmatic way, rationalise land use, strengthen transportation systems and chalk out new infrastructure development methods for future generation.

Corporation officials say that the focus is on regional spatial strategy, local development framework and development control. This involves greater attention to improve spatial qualities, socio-economic aspects, environmental awareness and urban governance.

Transport system

Transportation has been given due emphasis in the master plan, which includes developing inter-city traffic road corridors, intra-city traffic corridors, constructing new city roads and bus terminals, road over bridges and junctions. Improvements have been proposed in the railways and waterways.

One of the proposals is strengthening and widening the Madhavan Nair Road from Pushpa Junction to Pokkunnu and further extension to Pantheerankavu on National Highway Bypass and constructing a coastal highway from Kozhikode to Kochi.

Ambitions


Constructing an East-West Axis Road from Vellayil to Kunnamangalam via Malabar Christian College Cross Road-Chevayur and Mayanad is another ambitious project for streamlining intra-city traffic corridors.

Bus terminals have been proposed at West Hill, Medical College and Vellimadukunnu in the master plan. Other road transport development projects envisaged are introducing mass transport system, restructuring existing subways, greening arterial corridors and re-routing bus services in the city.

Drainage


Completion of the Kozhikode Drainage Project has also been given importance with the rise in households in the city in the last several years.

This includes laying of pipeline for about 100 km, a treatment plant at Karimanappalam using suitable technology and setting up four major pumping stations.

Reconstructing existing drain on the sides of main roads in town, covering them with RCC slabs to serve as footpaths, constructing sewer-cum-storm water drains and lining the natural drainage canals with cement concrete have been proposed.

Water resources


Watershed management; rainwater harvesting and localised water supply schemes are other projects. However, officials stress on the need for maintaining and conserving water sources such as tanks, ponds and dug wells existing in various regions.

Only with the completion of the multi-crore Japan Bank for International Cooperation -aided drinking water project can Kozhikode city hope to solve the acute drinking water shortage, they say.

Power supply


Another aspect is improving the existing power situation in the city. Priority has been given to constructing a ring main system of 29 11-kV rings and sub rings with 64 feeders and a new sub-station at Vellayil with 200 distribution transformers. Modifying the 220-kV substation at Nallalam, enhancing the capacity of 110- kV Sub-station at Vydyuthi Bhavan and converting the 110-kV single circuit line from Chevayur to 110 kV Substation at West Hill to 110-kV double circuit line are new proposals in the master plan.

Regarding waste management, standalone treatment plants on the beach and sides of Canoly Canal have been proposed.

Volunteers


Utilising the services of the Kudumbasree volunteers in the door-to-door collection of garbage and operating the treatment plant at Njeliyanparamba to its full capacity have also been drawn up for making improvements in this category.

Another major proposal is implementation of a Shelter Upgradation Programme for 79 identified slum areas in four phases.

Shelter upgradation


Three slum areas will be improved in the first two years, 23 in the next five years, 30 in another five years and 23 in the last phase of the programme.

Projects on tapping the tourism potential of the city, improving urban governance through e- initiatives, preparing a contour map for sewerage system and flood control and defining and proclaiming green belts have also been included in the master plan for the development of Kozhikode.
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