Kochi: In a setback to water sports enthusiasts, the Cochin Smart Mission Ltd (CSML) has put on the backburner the ambitious project to set up a water sports hub terminal at Marine Drive due to unavailability of land.
The decision comes at a time when the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) is determined to set up the facility on a piece of reclaimed land of Vembanad lake at the start of Goshree bridge, northern end of Marine Drive stretch.
“We’ve been planning the project for long and did not include the same under this year’s tourism plan fund after learning that the CSML is set to implement a similar project there. We don’t want to waste fund due to project duplicity,” said DTPC secretary S. Vijayakumar.
With the stretch of the water body already chosen as a permanent venue of the Champions Boat League (CBL), the tourism department now plans to implement the project directly.
“It’s the ideal place for water sports activities as the IPL model boat races will be held there from this year onwards. We’ll try to implement the project directly and soon take up the issue with all agencies concerned, including the CMFRI,” the official said.
A senior official of the SmartCity Kochi, a joint venture of the Kerala Government and the Dubai Holding, said the project was very much in consideration till recently.
“We’d planned to implement the project under phase-III and even held discussions with a potential investor. However, the CMFRI is setting up a Chinese fishing net at the said land near Goshree bridge and we’re yet to identify another spot coming under our jurisdiction.”
