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Kovalam development plan to be launched today
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ambitious Rs 30-crore Kovalam development plan, which includes road work, drinking water scheme, storm drain cleaning, beautification of Edakkal rocks and installing solar street lights at Eve's beach, will be formally launched on Tuesday.
The highlights of the plan are the drinking water scheme with an outlay of Rs 15 crore sanctioned to the Kerala water authority by the tourism department and the supply of around 1,400 biogas units in Kovalam as an effective method to counter the garbage situation in the area.
"The biogas units are priced in three categories ranging from Rs 25,000 to 3 lakh and will be made available to hotels and homes at a 90% discount. The department will pay 40%, while the Suchitwa Mission will bear 50% of the cost," said tourism secretary Suman Billa.
The road leading to Eves' beach would also be renovated as part of the scheme at a cost of Rs 44 lakh. An amount of Rs 3 crore has been set aside for the modernization and beautification of Kovalam tourist village and crafts village as part of the clean destination drive.
"The road leading to Eve's beach has a steep incline; it needs some straightening at the turns. No land is being acquired to widen the road," the secretary clarified.
A tourism working group had approved Rs 90.96 lakh to be spend on the storm water stream management project and work is expected to be completed in one year, informed the tourism department. Beautification of the Edakkal rocks has been completed. The work was undertaken by G Shankar, founder chairman, Habitat Technology Group.
Around 40 solar lamps, designed by the Trivandrum Global City of Innovation, will be installed on Eve's beach. "We are installing solar panels on the cast iron lamp posts lining the beach walk. The panels come with a battery back-up of one-and-a-half days and will light up a 6W LED bulb," Alexei Levene, MD, TGCI, said.
I hope the poor bugger was not trying to flag you down for help because someone stole his clothes!I think during the first time I went to Ponmudi in a two wheeler with a friend (some 15 yrs back); on the way back, at the foot hill near Kallar, one guy ( part of a team) in his underwear was standing in the road and tried to block our bike. I kicked that bugger and he fell to the side and we sped off.