Renovated park to be inaugurated soon

KOCHI: The renovated park in the Kumbalangi model tourism village will be inaugurated by Planning Commission deputy chief Montek Singh Ahluwalia next week.The park was renovated under the initiative of the Kumbalangi Model Tourism Village Society with a financial assistance of Rs10 crore by the BPCL Kochi Refinery.“The park near Kumbalangi bridge was envisaged as part of the Kumbalangi model tourism village and it was opened a few years back with limited facilities.The renovation is the second phase of expansion,” said Shaji Kurupassery, secretary of the society.An open air theatre with a gallery, a playing area for children and a food court are the major components of the second phase of development.“Kerala’s traditional art forms will be staged at the open air theatre and ethnic cuisine will be served at the food court,” Shaji said.He added that in the third phase development, a conference hall and craft centre would be constructed at the park.It will be implemented at an estimated cost of `10 lakh.“We are also planning an hour long country boat cruise through the backwaters for the tourists visiting the park,” he said.Meanwhile, the Kalagramam project, another major component of the tourism village is yet to get started for the want of land .It is to be set up on the four acres of reclaimed land at Kallanchery backwaters and would consist of a museum of traditional fishing equipment, training centres for traditional art forms, an open air theatre, food courts and a walkway.Once completed, the Kalagramam would be a centre of attraction and could create job opportunities for the residents.The project yet to take off as the dredging work for reclaiming the land is at a standstill.