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Kollam - TVM Corridor Development l Highway - Railway - Waterway Connectivity l Discussions

81K views 249 replies 43 participants last post by  Developmentalist 
#1 ·
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.
^^^^^^^^
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.^^^^
 
#3 ·
This is a great idea to start a discussion on Twin cities like 'Trivandrum -Kollam' when the urbanization of this area got a fast momentum now and huge investments are on the way.It should emerge as one of the biggest cities in South India in next 15-20 years.^^

Similar way we can start discussion on twin cities or chain of cities in other parts of Kerala too. We should consider the linked urban stretches like Aroor- Kochi-Aluva-Thrissur (100kms) , Kondotty - Kozhikode -Thalasseri- Kannur(100kms), Kottayam-Thiruvalla-Chengannur(30kms).And At least we can create a thread for Kochi-Trissur twin city as well
 
#4 ·
The actual distance between the heart of Kollam city to Trivandrum city is 71 KMs while the distance between Thattamala and Kazhakootum is mere 45 KMs.

This 45 Km is very important for the Twin city concept. There should be a 6 lane or can have a 8 lane road with the future in mind. We can also have think of a Elevated Highway from Thattamala to Kazhakootum (45 Kms) just like the Elevated Highway from Silk Board to Electronics city in Bangalore (Around 12 KMs)

A Metro Rail Project connecting the Kollam Trivandrum Twin city can be a great idea as there thousand going to and from the two cities everyday. This will increase once the Kollam Techno Park @ Kundara, ESI Medical College at Paripally, Techno City at Attingal and Techno Park Phase 3 at Kazhakootum becomes operational.

Expecting more suggestions and ideas from the Trivandrum forummers.:banana:
 
#5 ·
Good idea to discuss with.....kollam-trivandrum twin cities can emerge as the biggest one in south india, for that we need our developments to be focused, and indeed some good technical advisors, probably from out, y cant we borrow ideas from out if its good for development ....the very first thing we need is, good 4 or 6 lane connectivity b/w kollam and tvm, Suburban train services of international standards, if these things, above mentioned happens we can surge ahead of many investment destinations in southindia, And above all trivandrum must become mature itself as a metro city where, techies can spent their money, the lack of entertainment is an issue most of the techies quotes whenever they speak about tvm, with all the proposed malls and multiplexes in place we can fix this in a short time...
 
#6 ·
Good idea to discuss with.....kollam-trivandrum twin cities can emerge as the biggest one in south india, for that we need our developments to be focused, and indeed some good technical advisors, probably from out, y cant we borrow ideas from out if its good for development ....the very first thing we need is, good 4 or 6 lane connectivity b/w kollam and tvm, Suburban train services of international standards, if these things, above mentioned happens we can surge ahead of many investment destinations in southindia, And above all trivandrum must become mature itself as a metro city where, techies can spent their money, the lack of entertainment is an issue most of the techies quotes whenever they speak about tvm, with all the proposed malls and multiplexes in place we can fix this in a short time...
First of all I would like to thank those people who have taken initiative to start such a wonderful thread which may change the development cource of Kollam along with Trivandrum. Kollam is going to gain much from this wonderful concept.

Sanju your findings regarding the lack of entertainment opportunities in Trivandrum is correct when we compare it with the metros like Bangalore.

But the Kollam - Trivandrum twin city concept may mitigate this issue. Investment can be made to put up Entertainment parks at the banks of Ashtamudi in Kollam and the Hillocks in Kollam and Trivandrum. Moreover there can be Intercity tours To and Fro from Kollam to Trivandrum which may take less than an hour if the Kollam Trivandrum Metro Rail or Kollam Trivandrum 6 lane road materialize.

Invites more sugggestions.
 
#11 · (Edited)
^^ hmm.. you are right Ajay. TCR is a good model to emulate.. but I think this is the right time to launch internet discussions through various net groups... rather than restricting this to only SSC.. Though the idea might take time to evolve, I think we need to take some initiatives to create synergy between different projects.. eg.. Technopark-Technocity-Kollam TP [the synergy is already there in this case], Road development [NH 47 - Shenkottai road - MC Road - I think these roads need to be 6 laned. 4lanes are insufficiant], Vizhinjam Mother port - Thangassery Cargo port.

Also there is another aspect.. last time when i traveled to Kottarakara from Trivandrum, it took me only 1hr 5 mts.. thats 10 mts less than may daily office commute time here in Bangalore :) Once the entire MC road work is completed traveling time between Trivandrum and Kottarakkara will reduce further. Same is the case betweek TVM and Kollam cities. So probably the single U.A concept may become a reality much sooner than we are anticipating.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Yaar, ideas always comes from dreams. People have called Archemedis, Galilio and other greats who dreamt as fools. As per our our previous President" Dreaming low is a crime. You should dream big, only then you will achieve something".
Regarding the Kollam - Trivandrum Twin City or the Elevated Highway between Kollam and Trivandrum are future possible projects. It is utter foolishness to think that we cannot emulate cities like Dubai who can even create cities in sea. Please note that there are a hell lot of Malayalees working in the construction work of Dubai Palm islands and Dubai Metro rail projects.

You cannot tell that the future projects like the Kollam - Trivandrum Twin City or the Elevated Highway between Kollam and Trivandrum will not happen in future. It is an inevitable thing. The future is really bright.

Only thing is the mentality of people should change. We are so concervative and traditional in so many areas. Lets think out of the box.
 
#14 ·
The proposed Coastal Highway from Thanagasseri--> Eravipuram --> Paravur --> Kappil --> Varkala -- >ChirayanKeezhu --> Kazhakoottam would ease the traffic in the congested NH47 and boost the tourism in Paravur Varkala coastal region. This route can also be used as a TOLL FREE alternative route, once the 4 line NH47 is completed under BOT scheme. A portion of this road is now under re-construction in Paravur --> Eravipuram--> Kollam route.
 
#15 ·
Kollam's Marine Drive in the Making



True, yaar. The coastal road section Thankasseri - Eravipuram can be made as a 4 lane one as it has the potential to become Kollam's Queen's Necklace in future. Already hise rise buidings have started to come up in this section with a range of hotels and apartments in the line. This section will resemble like the Mumbai marine drive or Kochin marin drive by 2020.
 
#18 ·
Shashi Taroor: Great man with a great Vision: Kollam - Trivandrum Twin City pins hope on his vision.

It is great to see a person of the stature of Shashi Taroor is contesting from Trivandrum constituency. He has lot of experience behind him especially regarding the developments of world's great cities. Since he has visited most of the big cities in the world and has enough perception about the big Twin cities like Newyork - New Jersey, etc., we can pin hope that he will put all his expertise in the development of Trivandrum - Kollam Twin city development.

Kollam is also excited that a legendary visionary is contesting from the neighbouring constituency as his visions are worth and valuable for the development of Kollam as well. Trivandrum's long term development truly depends on the development of Kollam as it cannot expand too much to the south.

All the best for Shashi Taroor.^^
 
#21 ·
All the best for Shashi Taroor.^^
^^ - Let's hope for the best, Dr. Tharoor could one of the few people contesting to the Lok Sabha, who would understand such concepts as twin-cities.
 
#20 ·
This trend is picking up and I think the entire Kerala will be a Huge megalopolis
along with Kerela CBE,Erode,Salem,Hosur,Bangalore,Mysore,Vellore,Kanchipuram and Chennai will form the thrid megalopolis of India after NCR and Mumbai-Ahmedabad
The Megalapolis concept is more common in North America where two adjoining cities are developed as an integrated one though the cities have their independent existence.
 
#31 ·
Guys after reading all these.....guys y cant we think about calicut-kannur twin cities, NH 17 is going to be 4 laned very soon and we have many large satellite towns like talassery, mahe, vatakara, quilandy in between, kannur intl airport is goin to come up near talassery....hope its not a wild imagination.......:weird::blahblah:
 
#35 · (Edited)
Sanju, this not a joke or wild imajination. You can travel from Kollam to Trivandrum. See the distance between Kottiyam and Kazhakootum - mere 40 - 45 Kms. Morover, the towns in between this stretch like Chathanoor, Paripally, Kallmbalam, Attingal are all developing fast. There is enough scope for more IT parks in this stretch than any other stretch in Kerala once the recession is over.

MEMU Terminal base at Kollam for the suburban service is a perfect example that makes Kollam in the lime light in the Twin city concept. Kollam will develop fast once the MEMU becomes operational. It takes only 45 minutes to reach Trivandrum then. Currently Superfast Express trains covering Kollam - Trivandrum distance in 50 minutes. I think it takes 1 hour 15 minutes to travel from Ernakulam Junction to Trichur even in a Super fast Express train.

It is a good idea to think about Cochin - Trichur twin city as well. But the need of the hour is Kollam - Trivandrum twin city as Trivandrum can only grow towards north that is towards Kollam as south is Tamil Nadu.

This concept is relatively new to Kerala and the first initiaive will be Kollam - Trivandrum twin city. Delhi - Noida, Delhi - Gurugaon, Mumbai - Navi Mumbai, Mumbai - Thane are some of the examples. I think Sashi Taroor can do something regarding this pestigious concept that should materialize in the next 10 - 12 years in future.
 
#38 ·
Dr. Tharoor has already talked about twinning ... the concept is that TVM can be twined with a major city like , say LA, and the development process will be coupled. For example, town planning experts from LA could give their expertise in TVM and vice versa. It would be nice if such a twinning is extended to a coupled Kollam-TVM stretch and so we could witness a great growth story in the coming decade.
 
#39 ·
Yes, Dr.Tharoor... is someone.. to look for...

Yes, Reghu in the above post is right... Kerala is lacking leaders.. who can implement New Ideas....

They all do the same thing.. But no poin in say the same thing about the Governments.. So I'm zipping up...
 
#41 ·
INKEL also aims a Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam high-tech corridor

The following news came in the Pravasi online edition some time back:

The new venture with private-public partnership receives unprecedented success. In the first of its unofficial meeting, Infrastructure Kerala Limited (INKEL) is stated to have received around Rs.110 crores of investment guarantee from private parties. This underlines the interest of private industrialists to invest in projects of private-public partnerships in Kerala. Initial aim of the company was to attract an investment of Rs.100 crores capital through public-private participation. Out of this a minimum share of 26% has been decided to collect from the common people, who invest an amount less than Rs. One lakh. As per this, investors can deposit their share in the SBT, SBI banks with an amount not less than Rs. 10,000.

The proposed projects, which, INKEL would undertake initially are the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam high-tech corridor, Electronic City and Textile City at Kochi, High-tech Educational Hub at Kozhikode and a small-scale seaport development. Industries Minister Mr. Elamaram Kareem and Ex-Chief Secretary Mr. John Mathai are the Chairman and Managing Director of INKEL respectively.
 
#42 ·
The following news came in the Pravasi online edition some time back:

The new venture with private-public partnership receives unprecedented success. In the first of its unofficial meeting, Infrastructure Kerala Limited (INKEL) is stated to have received around Rs.110 crores of investment guarantee from private parties. This underlines the interest of private industrialists to invest in projects of private-public partnerships in Kerala. Initial aim of the company was to attract an investment of Rs.100 crores capital through public-private participation. Out of this a minimum share of 26% has been decided to collect from the common people, who invest an amount less than Rs. One lakh. As per this, investors can deposit their share in the SBT, SBI banks with an amount not less than Rs. 10,000.

The proposed projects, which, INKEL would undertake initially are the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam high-tech corridor, Electronic City and Textile City at Kochi, High-tech Educational Hub at Kozhikode and a small-scale seaport development. Industries Minister Mr. Elamaram Kareem and Ex-Chief Secretary Mr. John Mathai are the Chairman and Managing Director of INKEL respectively.
This project has been mooted by most of the forummers in this thread. Will the government and INKEL materialze the project? Lets keep our fingures crossed.
 
#46 · (Edited)
Perceptions differ. Having seen most of the major Indian cities, I would say Kerala fares better. Trivandrum-Kollam stretch appears much urban, modern and polished than any of the stretch you mentioned above. We have well developed mini towns/junctions like Kazhakuttom, Mangalapuram, Attingal, Kallambalam, Paripally, Kottiyam, Kalluvathukkal etc. You never feel like going through any rural/undeveloped area. I have driven through these stretches you mentioned during the Trivandrum-Bangalore drives in my car. The drive from Trivandrum to Trissur appears to be more ‘first world’ like to me rather than the stretch from Coimbatore onwards.

There is one more ‘technical’ thing in LSG Department (Local Self Government or ‘Taddesa Syambharana Vakuppu’) when compared with TN. In TN, there is a unique category ‘Town Panchayats’ which is not there in Kerala. So the small towns which come up along the highways which are not big enough to be a municipality, but not of a rural character will be classified as ‘Town Panchayats’. So effectively even in census too, there would be more urban population. For example, take the case of Trivandrum-Nagercoil highway, Balaramapuram, in Trivandrum district is a bustling trade centre which is a panchayat, whereas ‘Marthandam’ in Kanyakumari district is a ‘Town Panchayat’. If it were so here too Kazhakuttom, Mangalapuram, Kallambalam, Paripally, Kalluvathukkal, Kottiyam etc would be Town Panchayats rather than grama panchayats and be in urban 'technically' too.

Sometimes Bangalore-Mysore is also touted as twin cities, within 140 kms and connected by a four lane SH presently. (Anyway they do not have even double line rail connection, nor it is electrified.) The stretch is no way comparable to the Trivandrum-Trissur section (I have not driven extensively in the Malabar area.) as far the visible signs of development along the stretch.
Anyway these are not much relevant here. TVM-Kollam is growing as a urban corridor.
“The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which had carried out a feasibility study on the need for a rail-based Mass Rapid Transit System for the capital a couple of years ago, suggested introduction of suburban services at a cost of Rs.176 crore. It sought MEMU trains on the 82-km Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram- Neyyattinkara stretch”
May be in the years to come, as the Four laning as well as MEMUs are in place, both the cities can converge. I lived in Trivandrum and travelled for my studies to Kollam for my B Tech & MBA which used to take 1-1.5 hours. Now my daily drive for work in Bangalore also takes same time.

I know INFOSYSians driving daily (also car pooling) to Technopark from Kollam. While Southern Railway discussion forum (managed by SR) was active, there were several requests for stops for kollam bound express trains at Kazhakuttom. Technopark also operates ‘Technopark Express’ services which connects the different areas of the park with Kazhakuttom and Karyavattom also does service to the railway station in the morning and evening. More to say, my previous colleagues (site engineers)working at SFS Cyber Palms were commuting from to Kollam daily. For a site engineer there is no 9-5 work, even then most of them were comfortable travelling. Hope their lives would be easier once the MEMU starts running.

The advantage kerala gives to its citizen is the fact he need not shift to city centres for a good life, thereby stressing the resources. Here a person can live in Kollam and work in Trivandrum which is not that much possible in Bangalore. If you go 45 kms out of Bangalore you are in nowhere!!
 
#47 ·
TVM-Kollam is growing as a urban corridor. “The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which had carried out a feasibility study on the need for a rail-based Mass Rapid Transit System for the capital a couple of years ago, suggested introduction of suburban services at a cost of Rs.176 crore. It sought MEMU trains on the 82-km Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram- Neyyattinkara stretch”
May be in the years to come, as the Four laning as well as MEMUs are in place, both the cities can converge. I lived in Trivandrum and travelled for my studies to Kollam for my B Tech & MBA which used to take 1-1.5 hours. Now my daily drive for work in Bangalore also takes same time.

I know INFOSYSians driving daily (also car pooling) to Technopark from Kollam. While Southern Railway discussion forum (managed by SR) was active, there were several requests for stops for kollam bound express trains at Kazhakuttom. Technopark also operates ‘Technopark Express’ services which connects the different areas of the park with Kazhakuttom and Karyavattom also does service to the railway station in the morning and evening. More to say, my previous colleagues (site engineers)working at SFS Cyber Palms were commuting from to Kollam daily. For a site engineer there is no 9-5 work, even then most of them were comfortable travelling. Hope their lifes would be easier once the MEMU starts running.

The advantage kerala gives to its citizen is the fact he need not shift to city centres for a good life, thereby stressing the resources. Here a person can live in Kollam and work in Trivandrum which is not that much possible in Bangalore. If you go 45 kms out of Bangalore you are in nowhere!!
Absolutely correct Sudheesh. Right on spot.^^
 
#50 · (Edited)
Rightly Said.... :) :banana::banana::banana:
But I wanted my above Wish to be in real .....

Vinod, what wish? This one?

I wish this forumers are considered by state for City Planing
If those forumers include myself, sorry I would not be interested as of now, since it may not be possible to keep the level of living standards with the remuneration state gives. Also the career scope/development and work culture do matter a lot.

Perhaps during retirement, we can think of contractual positions, ha ha.:) Same would be with the case with Ajay. I am not sure about other forumers, but think only we hold the basic degrees & related expertise among the forumers here who could opt for urban planning.

I will cite one instance. Mr. Rajeev Vasudevan was the third CEO of Technopark, who had quit the Asia-Pac operations of Motorola to join Technopark. After my MBA, I had joined KINFRA as a Management Trainee that time. I had prepared a vision document about Technopark and send to him out of my sheer interest. He called me back and our acquaintance begun. Later he called me and asked whether I was interested in joining GTECH, the association of the Corporates in Technopark and I obliged. It was in 2002. He was a good professional, but under the prevalent conditions of our state service, a high flying professional cannot work for several reasons. He soon left. It was during his time Technopark made great strides of development.

BTW the State Govt has nothing to do anything specific towards this concept. It will be a by product of several possibilities which have started happening. For example, in NCR, all the three main regions, Delhi, Gurgaon, and NOIDA are under different state govts/regulations/administrative set ups. But it is generally considered as Delhi or NCR and the whole area gets benefitted. So Delhi Metro doesnot stop at the Haryana or UP border, but gets extended to Gurgaon & NOIDA. In the same lines, when the Govt had asked DMRCL to prepare a rail based suburban mass transport system for Trivandrum, they visualised it from Kollam to Neyyattinkara.
 
#49 ·
That is a great advantage to have ..
Professionals can live an urban life in Kollam and commute to TVM for work in less than an hour!! People who do not love urban life can opt for semi urban lives at small towns along the NH47 or even pure villages along the stretch, but still reach the work place in less than one hour. That is a nice development model anywhere in the world.
 
#51 ·
^^ As I said, there is not much the Govt has to play rather than being a facilitator, there are no geographic or demographic maps being redrawn, But from a business & corporate point of view, as well as general social development of the region, it holds good promises.

Infact you can say that there could be good lobbying from the business houses like the hoteliers, tour operators, architectural and consultancy firms. When I was in Trivandrum, I was involved in TATF (Trivandrum Agenda Task Force), a combine of the business houses in the city. Infact some leading architects/tour operators were pushing for more resorts in the Ashtamudi Lake area and then combine it with Poovar, Kovalam, Ponmudi to make it a full circuit. It holds good scope as the chartered flights from Europe are coming to Trivandrum only during the tourist season. And I think it is seeing results too, more resort projects are coming up like Mahindra Holidays in the otherwise less explored Ashtamudi banks. 'Synergy' is the buzz word here, what Trivandrum lacks, (like vast backwater stretches), Kollam can provide.
 
#53 ·
^^ Infact some leading architects/tour operators were pushing for more resorts in the Ashtamudi Lake area and then combine it with Poovar, Kovalam, Ponmudi to make it a full circuit. It holds good scope as the chartered flights from Europe are coming to Trivandrum only during the tourist season. And I think it is seeing results too, more resort projects are coming up like Mahindra Holidays in the otherwise less explored Ashtamudi banks. 'Synergy' is the buzz word here, what Trivandrum lacks, (like vast backwater stretches), Kollam can provide.
Yes, absolutely true. This is the point that is relevant.
 
#54 ·
Kudos to Manmohan Singh, Shashi Taroor and Peethambara Kuruppu

Great win for UPA and Congress:banana:. Shashi Taroor has done it:banana:. It is a big beginning for the development of this Kollam - Trivandrum region. Also, it is great that UPA candidate Peethambara Kuruppu has won the Kollam seat:banana:.

The Kollam - Trivandrum twin city concept will get more momentum with this great victory, the only aberration being Attingal constituency.

All the best for Manmohan Singh, Shasi Taroor and Peethambara Kuruppu.

This part of Kerala is hungry for development.
 
#55 ·
Great win for UPA and Congress:banana:. Shashi Taroor has done it:banana:. It is a big beginning for the development of this Kollam - Trivandrum region. Also, it is great that UPA candidate Peethambara Kuruppu has won the Kollam seat:banana:.

The Kollam - Trivandrum twin city concept will get more momentum with this great victory, the only aberration being Attingal constituency.

All the best for Manmohan Singh, Shasi Taroor and Peethambara Kuruppu.

This part of Kerala is hungry for development.
Don't worry Reghu, Kuruppannan hails from Kadambattukonam of Navaikulam Panchayat, which is part of Attingal Constituency. Kadambattukonam is the border for the Trivandrum & Quilon Districts. So he will be the link. But annan Karu Maaman parayunnthae kelkku. Gurunadhan parayunnathinappuram, kuruppannu mattonnum illa. Gurunadhan Thirondarathu irunnu onnum cheythilla, aaani adichathallandu.
 
#60 ·
There is no point in debating this...

Kerala even has the Ability to Become a Whole BIG City because of the closeness of its Towns..

So there is no point in arguing the Area or Size..

By the concept of twin City we will not get a BIG city infact the people in both the cities will gain.. It just provides enough transportation between them.. hence can live anywhere work anywhere :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

concept of Twin cities can be implemented in Cochin-Thrissur TVM-Kollam and also in Calicut-Kannur... Because people living in these cities depends on both the cities... and these cities are Partially Grown with the Municipalities in between them...
 
#64 ·
You are correct, Navjot. It should pass through the important towns like Ayoor - Anchal - Kilimanoor - Kazhakootam - Trivandrum City.

This is the best path as most people of Kollam and Trivandrum will benefit. I do not think Attingal is relevant as Chirayinkil and Kadakkavoor is just a few kilometres away. The line can join at Kaniyapuram or Kazhakootam to join the main line.

If the line becomes a reality with electrified routes, circular suburban MEMU trains can be operated in the Kollam - Kottarakkara - Trivandrum route.:banana:
I also agree with EQ but want to add a couple of stations more. Moreover, Ayoor will be the ideal location for railway station than Anchal as the MC road also passes through this junction.

My suggestion is:

Kottarakkara - Neduvankavu - Ayoor - Kadakkal - Kilimanoor - Venjaramoodu - Kazhakootam - Trivandrum.

But first, lets hope the Chengannur - Pandalam - Adoor - Puttur - Kottarrakkara line becomes a reality soon.

As EQ mentioned, once these projects become a reality, MEMU circular services can be operated in Kollam - Kottarakkara - Chengannur section and Kollam - Kottarakkara - Trivandrum sections as both are equi-distant from Kollam city.
 
#65 · (Edited)
Kollam Port - New Logistics Pattern

With the commissioning & subesequent commencement of operations of the Quilon Port, a new logistics hub is being developed. There is a shift in cargo movement. If Maldives require Coir Products, it has to come from Alappuzha, Chirayinkil & Thiruvallom/Kovalam. Cargo movement will be easier, if the TS Canal is revived. Otherwise the pressure on the NH 47 would be increasing. Please post the thoughts.

If there is a shift in cargo movement through Tuticorin, then the Tuticorin-Tirunelveli-Shencottah-Quilon and Tuticorin-Nagercoil-Trivandrum-Quilon roads would be overcrowded. I accept the fact that Maldives is a closed market and the chances of expanding beyond its capacity is very much limited. We will very soon reach this threshold limit too. However, if there happens to be more cargo movement to other places, say for example - export of Tins (The cashew industry has paved the way for the establishment of few tin / box manufacturing units in Kollam District) shall be finding a good possibility.

Maldives has a good fish / marine wealth (may be our Trawlers from Neendakara/Sakhthikulanga entering this zone). If these are brought to Quilon, the trade between the countries would develop further. Also, as is understood from my friends over there in Male, those people waste a lot of Coconut. If this valuable resource is available at cheap cost, the raw coconuts has to be brought to Quilon in the returning ships. May be we can develop the vegetable oil industry.

It is understood from the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Maldives that islands are available on lease basis for agriculture development. Our investors and agrocrats should think about undertaking these un-inhabited islands. The Arabs go to Tanzania & other African countries and invest in farming sector. We should think about this. There are plenty of aids under FAO packages. Yes we should change. We must go beyond Tirunelveli and Pollachi to invest on farms.
 
#66 ·
With the commissioning & subesequent commencement of operations of the Quilon Port, a new logistics hub is being developed. There is a shift in cargo movement. If Maldives require Coir Products, it has to come from Alappuzha, Chirayinkil & Thiruvallom/Kovalam. Cargo movement will be easier, if the TS Canal is revived. Otherwise the pressure on the NH 47 would be increasing. Please post the thoughts.

If there is a shift in cargo movement through Tuticorin, then the Tuticorin-Tirunelveli-Shencottah-Quilon and Tuticorin-Nagercoil-Trivandrum-Quilon roads would be overcrowded. I accept the fact that Maldives is a closed market and the chances of expanding beyond its capacity is very much limited. We will very soon reach this threshold limit too. However, if there happens to be more cargo movement to other places, say for example - export of Tins (The cashew industry has paved the way for the establishment of few tin / box manufacturing units in Kollam District) shall be finding a good possibility.

Maldives has a good fish / marine wealth (may be our Trawlers from Neendakara/Sakhthikulanga entering this zone). If these are brought to Quilon, the trade between the countries would develop further. Also, as is understood from my friends over there in Male, those people waste a lot of Coconut. If this valuable resource is available at cheap cost, the raw coconuts has to be brought to Quilon in the returning ships. May be we can develop the vegetable oil industry.

It is understood from the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Maldives that islands are available on lease basis for agriculture development. Our investors and agrocrats should think about undertaking these un-inhabited islands. The Arabs go to Tanzania & other African countries and invest in farming sector. We should think about this. There are plenty of aids under FAO packages. Yes we should change. We must go beyond Tirunelveli and Pollachi to invest on farms.
Great thoughts. I think the Kollam Port can be very well utilized for this purpose. Moreover the distance between the Kollam Cargo Port and the Neendakara - Shakthikulangara Twin harbour is mere 6 to 7 Kms. The proposed maritime institute and LPG Terminal will pave way for the Neendakara port development. Both Kollam and Neendakara port will complement each other. LPG can be brought to Kollam Cargo port and load into barges to send it to Neendakara port rather thn unloading it into the barges when the ship anchors several kilometres away from Neendakara port and then send it to the port.

Coir industry is a flousrishing industry in Kollam district as well especailly at Proakkulam , Mangad and Kandachira.

Kollam port will be a great success if the mineral, coir, cashew, clay, metal, sand, marine and backwater products which are in ubandance here are exported to foreign countires.

There is no doubt about the potential..but there are problems like labour issues, fight between shipping agents and lack of infrastrucutre.

But one thing is certain... the Kollam public truly appreciated and loved the first ship that docked at Kollam port. On Sunday an overwhelming crowd flood towards the Kollam Port and the authorities had to charge fees to control the public. They were charging Rs. 5 per person to see the ship.
 
#69 ·





:banana::cheers::banana:
Why cannot we have private ports like that in Gujarat which has the largest number of ports in India. The state of Gujarat is forging leaps and bounds as far as industrialization and development due to this.

Apart form the Kollam Cargo Port, in Kollam itself we have Neendakara Port and the Shakthikulangara harbour region which can developed into full fledged ports with the help of private partnerships.

"The private ports in Gujarat are making waves. Reports have it that Mundra port recently emerged as the country’s first port to receive hi-cube (9’6”) double-stack container train. As many as 180 TEUs were loaded in one rake at Kisangarh inland container depot of Adani Logistics Ltd for transportation to the port. With this, it is claimed, India becomes the third country in the world, after Canada and America, to start commercial operations of trains load ed with hi-cube ISO containers."

Quotes from Business Line
 
#70 · (Edited)
Erumeli - Punalur - Trivandrum line useful for starting circular trains between Kollam and Trivandrum cities

The only relief for Kollam in the railway budget is the 5.5 crore allocation for the MEMU termianal base and Maintenance shed. But there was no mention about the Heavy maintenance shed which was mooted for Kollam due to the availability of space here. The 5.5 crore is a very less amount for a project like MEMU which is expected to get completed by next year.

Also, the commissioning of the Kollam - Punalur BG conversion will happen only by Fenruary 2010, though there were rumours that it may be inaugrated before Onam this year.

Erumeli - Punalur - Trivandrum line survey which is passing through Kollam is a good sign. It will help railways to start circular trains between Kollam and Trivandrum. The passenger and MEMU trains can ply through circular route:

Kollam City - Kundara - Kottarakkara - Punalur - Anchal - Kilimanoor - Nedumangad - Trivandrum City - Varkala - Paravur - Kollam City.

This will bring the cities more close and realize the Twin city concept in the true sense. But the MEMU should be extended to the new route with electrification.

But we have to wait and see how much protest and undercurrents happen to undermine these projects by the vested interests. The Kottayam - Erumeli line and Chengannur - Kottarakkara lines are not heard nowadays which were also mentioned in some of the previous years budgets.

 
#71 ·
The only relief for Kollam in the railway budget is the 5.5 crore allocation for the MEMU termianal base and Maintenance shed. But there was no mention about the Heavy maintenance shed which was mooted for Kollam due to the availability of space here. The 5.5 crore is a very less amount for a project like MEMU which is expected to get completed by next year.

Also, the commissioning of the Kollam - Punalur BG conversion will happen only by Fenruary 2010, though there were rumours that it may be inaugrated before Onam this year.

Erumeli - Punalur - Trivandrum line survey which is passing through Kollam is a good sign. It will help railways to start circular trains between Kollam and Trivandrum. The passenger and MEMU trains can ply through circular route:

Kollam City - Kundara - Kottarakkara - Punalur - Anchal - Kilimanoor - Nedumangad - Trivandrum City - Varkala - Paravur - Kollam City.

This will bring the cities more close and realize the Twin city concept in the true sense. But the MEMU should be extended to the new route with electrification.

But we have to wait and see how much protest and undercurrents happen to undermine these projects by the vested interests. The Kottayam - Erumeli line and Chengannur - Kottarakkara lines are not heard nowadays which were also mentioned in some of the previous years budgets.

Any idea about the alignment between Punalur & Trivandrum?
Or it can be told only after the survery?

From Punalur, two or three options are there to reach Trivandrum.

1. Punalur - Anchal - Kulathupuzha - Nedumangad - Trivandrum (more of a
hilly tract)

2. Punalur - Anchal - Ayur - Kilimanoor - Venjaramood - Trivandrum.

3. Another route, mostly a greenfield zone, passing in between the above 2
routes.

4. Still another option is that the second line can be re-routed at
Kilimanoor or Venjaramood to Palode and to Trivandrum via Nedumangad.


Anyhow let us wait. Whatever be the case, the Punalur - Trivandrum route shall boost the hill produce sector of South Kerala.
 
#80 ·
Our former president Abdul Karim quoted once "Dreaming low is a crime. Always dream big".

Former president Abdul Karim:?[/QUOTE]

That was purely a printer's devil. With due respect to the greatest president that India has ever seen, I apologize for that big mistake.
 
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