Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram   

Leisure zone to come up at Shankhumukhom beach

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Nov. 7. A leisure zone is to be set up on 26 acres at the Shankhumukhom beach, one of the major tourist spots in the State capital, by the Tourism Department at an estimated cost of Rs. 4.8 crores.

The zone, which is aimed at offering fun and frolic for families, especially children, would be set up with minimum construction and avoiding permanent structures in keeping with the Coastal Regulation Zone norms and the need to preserve the natural beauty of the beach.

The leisure zone has been given the nod and the necessary budgetary allocation would be made to commence the work in the next financial year. ``The project is expected to alter the face of the famed beach,'' a senior Department official told The Hindu.

As part of making available the land for the leisure zone, the road from the All Saints College Junction to the airport would be closed for traffic near the junction leading to Vettucaud. This would make available 26 acres for the zone. Gates would be put up so that the land could be used in case of an emergency.

A roundabout would be set up at the junction where the road from the All Saints Junction, airport and Vettucaud meets. Vehicles arriving at the leisure zone can be parked on the way to Vettucaud. Vehicles proceeding to the airport would be diverted through the existing road passing through the side of the mermaid park to the South Palace.

The road alongside the District Tourism Promotion Council's restaurant and the children's park, would be the new traffic corridor. The stretch, which would be out of bounds for traffic, would be relaid using tiles and grass. The existing football ground in the locality would be retained.

The 250-metre-long and two-metre-wide walkway, constructed by the department at a cost of Rs. 43 lakhs, would be extended further north of the Kalmandapam and provided with a circular track so that the walkway can also be used for jogging by fitness enthusiasts.

The century-old South Palace, which is under the City Corporation and being renovated at a cost of Rs 35 lakhs with the support of the department, is to be converted into a children's museum. One floor of the palace would be set apart for electronic games and the other demarcated as an area for traditional games.

A children's park and a traffic park of the District Tourism Promotion Council are already functioning at Shankhumukhom. Additional recreational facilities would be provided at the beach as part of the project.

The plan of the leisure zone was presented at a high-level meeting held this week in the chamber of the Tourism Minister, K. V. Thomas. The project is being implemented by the Tourism Department with the support of the City Corporation and under the Capital City Development Programme.

Since the renovation of the Gandhi Park at East Fort taken up by the Kerala Tourism was plagued by controversy, it has been decided to get the plan ratified by the Corporation Council.

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