Kochi: The State-level steering committee, chaired by Chief Minister Oomen Chandy, on Wednesday, approved major urban infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,100 crore, submitted by the City Corporation for inclusion in the transition phase of the JNNURM.
The civic body submitted seven major projects, such as a pedestrian-friendly urban transport system (Rs 55.10 crore), a surface water drainage project for east Kochi (Rs 40 crore), upgrading surface water drainage in west Kochi (Rs 50 crore), improving the inland water transport system, development of public markets (Rs 32.68 crore), revamping the Broadway heritage area (Rs 25 crore) and renovating the Ernakulam market (Rs 15 crore).
The steering committee meeting, held in Thiruvananthapuram, also approved three other project proposals submitted by Mayor Tony Chammany.
The projects are, a drinking water scheme which aims at supplying an additional 190 MLD of water to the city and outskirts at a cost of Rs 750 crore, introducing an energy-efficient lighting system for the city at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore and a conservation programme for water bodies in the city worth Rs 20 crore.
As the projects got the State government’s approval, the detailed project reports of all the schemes will be submitted to the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC), chaired by the Union Urban Development Secretary by the end of this month or early January.
Chammany hoped that all the projects would get the approval of the CSMC.
“Since much land acquisition is not needed, except for the drinking water scheme, project implementation can be carried out without any delay. The infrastructure sector in the city will get a boost with the commissioning of these projects,” said the Mayor.
The meeting has decided to also include some of the ongoing and non-starter projects like Pachalam, Atlantis and Ponnurunni railway over-bridges and other road development projects in the transition phase of JNNURM.
This will give the City Corporation an additional three-year period to complete the projects.
