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Trivandrum | General Discussions

4M views 17K replies 554 participants last post by  rajesh_raman73 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Dear Members ,
I am a relatively new entrant to this blogging site which focuses on the development aspects of Trivandrum city.I have been a mute witness to all the denials made to this beautiful city by the political establishment over the decades.I felt so helpless when our city was slowly pushed towards decay and destruction .Now I find that a meaningful discussion is taking place in these electronic pages opening a new chapter in the development scene of our city.I find a new and fresh whiff of fresh air blowing in the city bringing relief to the citizenary.We need to have a thinktank for the city which can identify and facilitate the development works rising above political and economic gains.It is my sincere observation that any apolitical forum which can draw on the exposure and expertise of the thousands of Trivandrumites who are working across the world can be pooled to give a steady direction for taking the development initiatives forward.Trivandrum happens to be the only city in Kerala which had some sort of planning when the Travancore royal family decided to shift the capital and built up the new capital.And it is no wonder that the same works still stand good after the passage of time and imposed growth, supporting a population much beyond the planned capacity.No other city in kerala can boast of a lifequality comparable to Trivandrum in terms of clean air,clean water and serenity .It will be more appropriate to say that Trvandrum has grown silently than any of the voiciferous cities of kerala.We find that though every other person in kerala would like to criticise trivandrum and its citizens ,they are the foremost in making a move to trivandrum given its position in all levels of education and job oportunities whether in the govt sector or the private sector.Trivandrum has always welcomed the masses whether they are from within the state or from outside.And they have all settled down in Trivandrum to make the cultural fabric very colourful and vibrant.We,the Trivandrumites should come together under a single forum to work for the development of Trivandrum in all fronts thereby giving back to our parent city what it has provided to us.Let us address all the problems through this forum and find solutions that has evaded the political establishments for a long time.Let us place development above politics.I look forward to a healthy discussion which will lead to action thru this forum.
 
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#4,942 ·
Why cant we have not a marine drive in Tvm?

It is very sad that despite long stretches of water bodies we do not have a marine drive similar to the one in Cochin. I dont know what is in the way of developing this much sought after facility in our city.

Any thoughts which can enlighten me in this matter.

Cheers!!!
Can you bit more intelligent with your postings. We have so many issues to tackle before going behind a Marine Drive. You sound too childish these days ... what happened buddy ...
 
#4,943 ·
Why cant we have not a marine drive in Tvm?

It is very sad that despite long stretches of water bodies we do not have a marine drive similar to the one in Cochin. I dont know what is in the way of developing this much sought after facility in our city.

Any thoughts which can enlighten me in this matter.

Cheers!!!
I don’t think a marine drive per se is a ‘much sought’ after facility when a city is aiming to get closer to the developed world standards. There are other important things to do.

It is foolishness to say that TVM should have a marine drive since Cochin or Mumbai or Chennai has it. Naturally such ‘marine drives’ are formed in such cities which were very close to the sea.

And I cannot understand where do we have ‘long stretches of waterbody’.

Trivandrum by its nature is a city on sea side rolling hills. The CBD of the city is located away from the sea. Only now with the IT development, we are coming close to the sea. And please note that this new development was possible since we had areas with sparse population only towards the coast.

One more point to be noted is that CRZ norms. There are different categories we cannot create a development along the coast esp in virgin areas like the coast of Trivandrum on account of this. A seaside development should be atleast 500m away from HTL (High Tide Line). It doesn’t apply much to those areas/cities on the coast which were already built up decades back.

Another option is that if there is an existing road, construction can happen on the other side without keeping the 500m rule. We have such a road only at Shankhummukhom for some 100-200m stretch.

Personally speaking in Indian context I feel it is better if we don’t have much water bodies in the city. The canals, streams etc becomes sewage drains with water in black colour even if it is connected to the sea/backwater. The best example would be the coovum, even at the point it meets the sea. In Kochi, the canal below the ‘Rainbow bridge’ which leads to the market is also polluted. We can also see many canals in the same ‘blackish’ condition as we near ERS from Aleppey side. Luckily in TVM we don’t have much waterbodies on a comparo scale other than some stretches of Parvati puthanar and Amayizhanchan canal
 
#4,944 ·
TRIDA to hold talks with traders



The TRIDA will hold talks with the traders at Thakaraparambu regarding the allotment of new shops on Central theatre road, where they are getting shifted. The traders would be asked their preferences, nature of trade and other details before allotting them the new shops, TRIDA Chairman P K Venugopal said.

‘’The electrification works are set to be completed soon. In two weeks, we will start discussions with the traders after which only the rehabilitation will be initiated,’’ he said.

As many as 32 shops, including five double room shops, have been constructed along the Central theatre road for the rehabilitation of traders. The traders will be rehabilitated as part of the ongoing works of Thakaraparambu flyover. Since piling works are progressing on the Power House road, the traders on the Power House-MG Road stretch will be shifted in the coming days.

Rehabilitation of traders was one of the major hurdles for the works of Thakaraparambu flyover. Traders will be temporarily shifted to the shops on the Central theatre road. TRIDA plans permanent rehabilitation of traders at the shopping complex planned on the compound of Government Central HSS, Attakulangara.

As many as 45 traders from Power House road, MG Road and Thakaraparambu will be shifted to the Central theatre road.

Issues Yet to be Resolved

As the traders on Power House road are gearing up to get shifted to the temporary sheds constructed by TRIDA along the Central theatre road, some issues are worrying them. Absence of a main line for water supply and drainage on the Central theatre road will be the major issues causing concern for them.

Recently, the traders had met Health Minister and local MLA V S Sivakumar and submitted a petition to sort out the issues. Also, they sent applications to the executive engineer of sewerage division Pattoor and executive engineer of Water Authority at Kuriathy division.

“Absence of main water line would be a major problem. As the shops are getting ready, it would affect the regular operations of the shops,” said Ravikumar, a trader on the Power House road.
 
#4,945 ·
City Corporation going commercial



Amidst its big plans, that range from an underground shopping mall to petrol pump, to step up its income, the City Corporation has made a small beginning at Poojappura. Adjacent to the Poojappura ground, which it owns, the local body has begun the construction of a chain of rooms to be leased out for setting up shops.

Though the Corporation has a couple of shopping centres and wedding halls under it, this is probably the first time that the Council has thought of cashing in on the public turnout by building shops. The Poojappura playground, the Bhagat Singh Park and the Poojappura Island Park witness huge crowds during evenings. At festive times, like Onam and ‘poojaveipu’, the crowd is overwhelming.

‘’We have decided to look out for income in every possible piece of land we have. This is a beginning,’’ said Mayor K Chandrika. According to Deputy Mayor G Happykumar, the Corporation is building 15 rooms on a stretch near the grounds adjacent to the gallery.

The Corporation has set aside ` 50 lakh in its Plan fund for construction of the shops. Like its markets and halls, the shops will be leased out on contract. The work is expected to get over in seven to eight months.

The Corporation, which is looking out for avenues to step up its income, had decided recently to hand over streetlights on a certain street to an ad agency for maintenance.

The cash crunch-hit local body has realised that the sooner it takes to commercial ways, the better it is to make ends meet.
 
#4,946 ·
ടെലികോം സിറ്റി നിര്മാണം; കരാറില് കോടികളുടെ അഴിമതിയെന്ന്.


തിരുവനന്തപുരത്തെ നിര്ദിഷ്ട ടെലികോം സിറ്റി നിര്മാണ കരാറില്കോടികളുടെ അഴിമതിയെന്നു ഹൈക്കോടതിയില് സത്യവാങ്മൂലം. പദ്ധതിയുടെ നിര്മാണ ഉപകരാറുകാരായ കെ.എന്.ജി. സിവില് കണ്സ്ട്രക്ഷന്സാണു സിഡ്കോ മാനേജിംഗ് ഡയറക്ടര് സജി ബഷീര് അടക്കമുള്ളവര്ക്കെതിരേ അഴിമതി ഉന്നയിച്ച് കോടതിയില് സത്യവാങ്മൂലം നല്കിയത്.

കരാര് റദ്ദാക്കാതിരിക്കുന്നതിന് മൂന്നു കോടിലധികം രൂപ സിഡ്കോ ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥര്ക്കു കോഴ നല്കിയതായി സത്യവാങ്മൂലത്തില് പറയുന്നു. പദ്ധതിയുടെ പ്രധാന കരാറുകാരായ ഡോം പ്രോജക്ട്സ് കരാര് റദ്ദാക്കിയതിനെതിരെ സമര്പ്പിച്ച ഹര്ജിയില് കക്ഷിചേരാന് അനുമതി തേടിയാണ് കെ.എന്.ജി. ആരോപണം ഉന്നയിച്ചത്.

Corruption case against the contract of upcoming Telecom city here.
 
#4,947 · (Edited)
Can you bit more intelligent with your postings. We have so many issues to tackle before going behind a Marine Drive. You sound too childish these days ... what happened buddy ...
Fortunately for people like me who sometimes (or always) make comments or raise questions ( which appear childish to others) the rules of the membership for the forum does not say that the member has to be intelligent. On the contrary it is an asset since it enables intelligent people like you to stand out.
Further more this is a DISCUSSION FORUM, which gives the freedom to air even some silly doubts to get a fair answer so long as it does not violate the basic rules of the forum ( which I always try to follow)
Also note that this question was raised to me the other day by a professor of Environmental Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
( A close friend of mine and hailing from Perumbavoor - near Cochin) I wanted to give a fair answer to him next time I see him. That is why I used this discussion forum seeking some good reply. If I do not get it I dont feel bad. But Mr Sudheesh was great enough to give some reply.

Robin, if you allow ignorant people like me to survive with elite and intelligent people like you in this forum, I will feel blessed.

By Sudheesh
Trivandrum by its nature is a city on sea side rolling hills. The CBD of the city is located away from the sea. Only now with the IT development, we are coming close to the sea. And please note that this new development was possible since we had areas with sparse population only towards the coast.

One more point to be noted is that CRZ norms. There are different categories we cannot create a development along the coast esp in virgin areas like the coast of Trivandrum on account of this. A seaside development should be atleast 500m away from HTL (High Tide Line). It doesn’t apply much to those areas/cities on the coast which were already built up decades back.

Another option is that if there is an existing road, construction can happen on the other side without keeping the 500m rule. We have such a road only at Shankhummukhom for some 100-200m stretch.
Thanks for your reply.

Cheers!!!
 
#4,949 ·
^^
Don't worry Kannan, This was a question in my mind for a long time which I did not ask for some reason :)
And Thanks Suheeshbhai for your satisfying reply :cheers:
Although a Marine drive in the main city is impossible (due to proximity of Airport), we can have one near beaches and lakes north of trivandrum. But this has to be planned now. Marine drive in all those cities evolved over time, ours also has to go thru good planning

One near Vizhinjam / Poovar is a high possibility also and in fact can be done too
 
#4,953 ·
Although a Marine drive in the main city is impossible (due to proximity of Airport), we can have one near beaches and lakes north of trivandrum. But this has to be planned now. Marine drive in all those cities evolved over time, ours also has to go thru good planning

One near Vizhinjam / Poovar is a high possibility also and in fact can be done too
A) Only Mumbai has a true sea-facing Marine Drive in India. Mumbai is an island city. Today the development of a coastal road from Haji Ali to Nariman Point is a contentious issue due to environmental issues and may need a special dispensation from CRZ/CMZ regulations, if at all.

B) Trivandrum already has an impressive lake district building up around Aakulam Lake. With the completion of the 4-lane Ulloor-Nh 66 connector, dozens of apartment projects along the lake would be strung together in a beautiful winding lake-facing drive.

C) This has been discussed umpteen number of times, so let's not rake it up again. Thanks!
 
#4,954 ·
Thiruvananthapuram: CRIP to miss June 30 deadline too

Source: IBN live
Thiruvananthapuram: The City Road Improvement Project (CRIP) will not meet the deadline, this time too. As June 30, the deadline set for completion of the remaining Phase II and Phase III works, is nearing, a number of road works have hit a roadblock. Issues ranging from failure to acquire land to non-cooperation of various government departments are the reasons behind the hurdle.
Works of Thakaraparambu flyover, Medical College-Ulloor, Ulloor-Kochulloor, Model School-Ponnara Park, G G Hospital-Venpalavattom and Peroorkada-Vazhayila are progressing. According to officials of Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), except Thakaraparambu flyover, which would take another three years to complete, road works would be over in two-three months. However, some issues remain unaddressed.
The ongoing work of Thampanoor bus stand is one of the major hurdles for the widening of Thampanoor-Overbridge Road. The temporary sheds constructed for the commuters need to be removed for the construction of drains. However, KSRTC has not heeded to the request of KRFB so far. The Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL), concessionaire of the CRIP, said work cannot progress without the construction of drains. The issue of water-logging in this area could be resolved only through the joint effort of TRDCL, KSUDP and the Railways.

Work on the nearby Thampanoor-Model School stretch is stuck for years owing to the Kerala Water Authority’s (KWA’s) sewerage works and JICA-assisted water works. However, TRDCL project engineer Anil Kumar Pandala said the Thampanoor-Model School stretch would be ready for tarring in two weeks.
KWA plays villain in the works on Ulloor-Kochulloor stretch too. In August 2010, TRDCL took over the stretch to complete works in a three-month period. However, the work got delayed indefinitely. Now, when road work is nearing completion, work of JNNRUM has hit the junction improvement project at Ulloor. On the Medical College-Ulloor stretch, land belonging to the Housing Board is yet to be acquired.
Along the Vanchiyoor-Old Collectorate road, protest against felling of 64 trees for the road development is the major issue faced by the road developers. The plan is to widen the road by covering concrete slabs over the Amayizhanjan canal. Adviser to CRIP Dr N S Sreenivasan is expected to review the revised plan, which proposes to save as many trees as possible, in July.
The land acquisition issue at Pattoor cemetery area is still unresolved as the Corporation is yet to take a decision on the complaint raised by Pharmacy Council Employees’ Union against construction of a vault near a compound wall of their institution.
Unless KRFB and Railways form a consensus on the Railway Overbridge at Pettah, the stretch will remain a major bottleneck. Land acquisition is a major issue on a number of stretches, including MG Road, Peroorkada-Vazhayila, Medical College-Ulloor etc.
“We use batch-type hotmix plant, which is worth Rs 3 crore. The capacity of the plant is 1,000 metric tonnes. Already, it is operated on loss. If we go ahead with the work ignoring small stretches, the renovation of the stretch, in a later stage, would be a costly affair,” said Pandala
It is sad state of affairs. Do the respective ministers also fight instead of cooperating for this noble cause or they dont have any control over what is going on with their respective offices under their control?


Tears!!!
 
#4,955 ·
I dont think it is a big issue, just snag lists which would be taken care of eventually. I would like to take everything on a comparo scale; we are indeed much ahead in comparison with other Indian cities.

Whenever I am back to Blr from Tvm, it takes several weeks to get rid of my frustration and adjust with changed situations
 
#4,956 ·
Thiruvananthapuram: CRIP to miss June 30 deadline too

Source: IBN live

It is sad state of affairs. Do the respective ministers also fight instead of cooperating for this noble cause or they dont have any control over what is going on with their respective offices under their control?


Tears!!!
Even if it is delayed by few days,weeks,months or perhaps a year or two,it makes sense because they had a positive approach and commitment.
This project is well on time when compared to other major projects,.......Vizhinjam,Telecom City,Metrorail oops now name changed to Monorail,IIT,MEMU,Link to Express Highway(Tirunelveli Road),NH-47 widening,International Convention Centre......could anyone imagine that we would get such nice wide road this decade ?
 
#4,957 ·
Tri Man said:
Even if it is delayed by few days,weeks,months or perhaps a year or two,it makes sense because they had a positive approach and commitment.
This project is well on time when compared to other major projects,.......Vizhinjam,Telecom City,Metrorail oops now name changed to Monorail,IIT,MEMU,Link to Express Highway(Tirunelveli Road),NH-47 widening,International Convention Centre......could anyone imagine that we would get such nice wide road this decade ?
+1

The last Government had put together a High Power Committee to Expedite Projects (HPCEP) which submitted a comprehensive suite of recommendations to avoid delays with major projects like Vizhinjam. Unfortunately, it seems that the current dispensation have chosen to blithely ignore all those lessons.

Well they can always spend five years and thousands of Crores of tax payer money to learn them all over again.
 
#4,958 ·
Railways has launched new time table.
Main highlights:

  • New A/C express train from Kochuveli to Bangalore. [on every Friday]

  • Duration of existing Kochuveli-Bangalore express changed from tri-weekly to daily.

  • Bikaner-Coimbatore Weekly A/C superfast & Thirunelveli-Dadar weekly superfast [Both running via Shornur-Kozhikkode]

  • Running time of several trains are reduced, including
    Maveli exp: (TVC-Mangalore), Kochuveli-Blore garibrath, TVC-Korba, Raptisagar (TVC-Gorakhpur), TVC-Blore weekly

  • Parasuram exp: extended to Nagercoil



News from The Hindu:
 
#4,960 ·
The ups and downs of ISRO

In the first 40 years of its existence, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has had its ups and downs. Now, the story of one of the world’s top space agencies has been put together in a book.

Former President and India’s missile man A P J Abdul Kalam released ‘A Brief History of Rocketry in ISRO’ at a function here on Thursday. Written by former ISRO staffers P V Manoranjan Rao and P Radhakrishnan, the thick volume is about the first four decades of ISRO, how it developed from a mere concept to a space agency capable of shooting off moon probes.

Thiruvananthapuram dons a major role in this story as the birthplace of ISRO, and over the years, four of the space agency’s units have also made the district their home. The book relates how the efforts of men such as Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and others shaped the ISRO of today.

http://newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/article554876.ece
 
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