Here are some thoughts from fellow forumers
Kollam's potential to develop is truely great. Most of that potential can be realised in synergy with its much bigger neighbour, Trivandrum.
As we have discussed here many a time, most of the commuters from Kollam head for work in the capital. Indeed, with the commute hovering at around an hour's time either way, Kollam is as good as an extended suburb of Trivandrum. One can travel faster from Kollam to Technocity than from say Nedumangad or Neyyantinkara which are bonafide suburbs/satellite towns of the capital city.
The development of a Trivandrum - Kollam Growth Corridor is indeed a superb idea. I totally agree with you on that count. The development of the NH-47 and M.C.Road into 4-lane highways along with the commencement of MEMU services are strong steps in that very direction.
The extension of Trivandrum's IT Corridor till Attingal together with the establishment of major projects like the ESI Medical College at Paripally have already brought the borders of the two cities close. Soon, the Trivandrum Capital Region will be notified with its northern border at Varkala, which is just a few kilometers south of the U/A of Kollam.
Greater Kollam will probably start at Karunagapalli and merge with Greater Trivandrum at Varkala. Added together, the State's 1st and 4th biggest cities will create a urban agglomeration with over 3 million population, by far the largest in Kerala.
Kollam and Trivandrum have shared close ties for centuries and we have never been as close as we are now. The future is an united one for us. The same airport, same port and same urban amenities! Just as Thane has merged with Mumbai or Gurgaon with Delhi, we should look forward to a merged existance in the near future, within the next 15 years or so.
The key thing is to stand united in all issues related to development since what benefits Kollam benefits Trivandrum and vice-verse. The latest case in point being the fact that it is the proximity to Technopark, which prompted the establishment of the first district-level IT park in Kerala at Kollam.
Looking forward to a lively and constructive discussion on this. Lol, imagine a few years from now when the SSC threads of the two cities are merged into the same folder, for starters! :cheers:
A single U.A for Kollam and Trivandrum cities is a good idea. The growth corridor should be a circular one along Neyyatinkara, Poovar shipyard, Kovalam, vizhinjam port, Technopark Phase 1, 2 and 3, technocity, TIA, Kollam port, Kollam technopark, Kottarakkara, Ayur, Chadayamangalam, Kilimanoor, Trivandrum city.
Another growth corridor can be planned along Kollam Shenkottai road [this road should be developed to cater to the traffic of Vizhinjam and Kollam port connecting Tamilnadu] and another one along trivandrum, nedumangad [educational corridor ?]
Can we also think of a greenfield international airport at a place some where equidistant from both cities, probably 20 yrs from now? probaby at that time current TIA can be made a cargo hub airport.
Bangalore and Mysore though 150 kms apart are already being addressed as twin cities. Kollam and Trivandrum which are just around 60 kms apart [probably even closer once the TCR is notified] should start planning as twin cities and a big growth engine for our nation. is it already time to plan for a common Metro network for the TVM-Kollam U.A?
Six laning of Karunagapally - Nagarcoil road, Kollam - Shenkottai, Kottarakkara - TVM should also be planned ASAP.
The idea is great Robin. But it does not mean the development activites and fund should be allocated only in one specific district. It should be more of a distributed one. If we are looking at a combined Kollam - Trivandrum urban area, there have to be a lot of study and debate go into the subject so that both the cities should reap the benefits of the comined development efforts. It should not be like that we can scrap the projects of one city from now onwards because it is going to come up in the other city.
The idea of a common Central Airport somewhere betweem Paripally and Attingal is a good idea as it will be equidistant from both the cities. (Around 35 KMs). Please note that the new airport in Bangalore (2nd largest in India in area) is at an average of 40 - 45 Kms away from the main centers of Bangalore city. Even the Nedumbassery airport is almost 30 Kms away from Cochin.
The new airport can find enough space in the Paripally and Attingal belt. Lets think out of the box now. The government should start acquisition of land in this area as soon as possible as the new airport will benefit immensely in the development and investment domains of both the cities and the districts in a gigantic way in future. 4 lane roads can be developed to link the new airport with major towns like Varkala, Kottarakkara and Kilimanoor. As mentioned by Robin, The Karunagapally - Kollam - Paripally - Attingal - Trivamdrum - Nagercovil NH 47 stretch should be widened to 6 lane like the Outer Ring road in Bangalore.
The Kollam based MEMU service is a big initiative regarding the Kollam - Trivandrum combined Urban Area
Kollam Cargo Port should not be neglected for the sake of Vizhinjam as Kollam is the hub of cashew and mineral industry. Already, Kollam Cargo Port is been neglected for the sake of Cohin Port and Tuticorin port. Infact Vizhinjam's devlopment will not be at the cost of Kollam Port. Instead Vizhinjam can be made a major transhipment hub terminal at the southern part of India so that the Kollam Cargo Port should become more relevant and meaningful in terms Cargo traffic.
Trivandrums Urban Area development will be maily towards the northern side as it cannot encorach into the borders of Tamil Nadu which is just a few Kms from Vizhijam in the south. The development of Trivandrum will be mainly towards the north for which Techno City is the major example. IT development (if we look at the Bangalore - Mysore IT corridor model) will be really encroaching towards the Kollam district as already the Kollam Techno Park ground work has began.
Hope there will be a time when the Kollam - Trivandrum NH - 47 stretch see multinational company buses and cabs plying on each direction.
The politicians and visionaries have to set their vision right now itself.
We should not waste time. Otherwise, other cities will go ahead.
I welcome Ajay, Sudheesh, Robin and Co to set their plans and suggestion about these combined Kollam - Trivandrum Urban Area development.
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Reghu - There is no need for any project to be dropped at all. In fact, taking the example of Kollam Port, it would be developed far more in conjunction with Vizhinjam than in isolation!
Please read more about that idea here.
At just 60 Kms, the distance between the Trivandrum and Kollam (current) urban areas makes them the two closest major cities in Kerala with that gap narrowing rapidly. Thus, Kollam has the benefit of access to metropolitan facilities like the International Airport. Trivandrum International Airport is only slightly farther from Kollam than BIAL is from the center of Bangalore.
Like you said, it is high time that we envision the future of the twin cities and plan for it. Perhaps, we can discuss the proposals in greater detail here and evolve some sort of a start-up plan.
Ajay, it is always better to have an airport atleast 25 to 30 Kms away from the heart of the city. If the airport is at the heart of the city, it may hamper the upcoming of big and tall residential projects as well as tall building complexes. Also, if the airport is away (25 - 35 Kms) means the congestion will be less inside the city due to the traffic towards the airport. So an airport (Infact Bangalore has 3 airbases where flights can land - HAL airport, Yelahanka Airbase where the current airo-expo happens as well as the big one at Devanahalli - BIAL ). So the combined Kollam - Trivandrum Urban area requires a big airport that is away from the hustle and bustle of the two cities. The ideal place is somewhere between Parippally and Attingal. We can give an ideal name as well: "Travancore International Airport"
So the development activites in the construction sector will not be hampered due to air regulations and rules.
I suggest you to come up with great ideas and proposals in Kollam thread just like the ones you post in Trivandrum threads. It will give more impetus for the combined urban development. Thanks for all your efforts in this regard
My 2 cents
1. in the line of TDF [Trivandrum development forum - an NGO comprising of professionals to support and lead development initiative in TCR] professionals in Kollam should come up with KDF. Along with that a joint forum of TDF and KDF should be constituted.
2. the joint forum should take lead in creating public awareness and interest about the twin city idea.
3. the joint forum should take up the following projects immediately - 1. 6 laning of karunagapally - Nagarcoil stretch, 2. 6 laning of Kottarakara Trivandrum stretch, 3. Vizhinjam mother port, 4. Kollam cargo port, 5. dedicated rail network between two ports. Also should think of ways to create public pressure for expediting the works of technocity and Kollam TP.
You are absolutely right, Robin. The Kollam Development Forum (KDF) is the need of the hour. It can drive and direct the enthusisam towards achieving the goals. Just like the significant projects in Trivandrum may give due benefits to Kollam city, the projects in Kollam like the Kollam MEMU Base Terminal, Kollam IT Park, Kollam Cashew Board, Kollam Cargo Port, ESI Medical and Dental Colleges, Kollam Junction Railway Station being the biggest junction in South Kerala and the immense tourism potential of Ashtamudi Lake is going to benefit Trivandrum in a bigger way as the future of Trivandrum's growth is towards the northern side.
I suggest the people of Trivandrum to support the project proposals and initiatives for Kollam as the benefit can be reaped by the two cities.
Robin, it is a great idea to have one thread which will be common for both the cities to give more impetus to the Kollam - Trivandrum Twin City concept. This thread will deal with the projects that will boost and bolster the development of both the cities. The threads that are currently active for both the cities can still be active for the specific city projects.
Sudheesh Bhai or Ajay can take the initiative to start the new thread. This thread will give more visibility to the forummers about the projects that are coming up in Kollam which is benefitful for Trivandrum as well.
The idea of the Twin City concept is a great vision for the overall development of South Travancore and adopt the best from other twin cities like Gurgaon - Delhi, Mumbai - Thane, Hydrabad - Secundrabad, Kolkatta - Howrah or Noida - Delhi.
Kollam - Trivandrum Twin City can emerge as biggest twin city is South India by 2020 if the developments efforts are initiated from now itself.^^^^