Cochin Weather Now at its Best

The continuous rain seems to have stopped in Cochin and as a results the Cochin weather seems to be at its best.  The sun is out there consistently since a week and this has made a huge respite for those in Cochin. The recent continuous monsoon rains had made the life miserable in Cochin and since it has stopped for a few days, those staying in Cochin are able to go smoothly with their daily works. Those visiting Cochin would also be able to enjoy the charm of Cochin in a much better way.

The sunny days in Cochin would make sure that the water logging inside the city recedes for the time being so that we can travel to and fro in Cochin without any difficulty. The bad thing is that after the first phase of the heavy monsoon session all the major roads in the city have been damaged and this makes traveling difficult. The bad thing is that we would have to wait till the end of the monsoon season, before the authorities do anything to repair the damaged roads of Cochin. And that would take almost four to five months from now.

But in the mean time we can enjoy this small break by visiting some of the hot spots in Cochin with our family or friends, before the next session of monsoon arrives. Even though this is not the perfect season for tourism in Cochin, we can make use of the small rain breaks to enjoy some of the best tourist destinations in Cochin. One can spend their leisure time at some of the top attractions of Cochin such as the back waters, a walk through the Marine Drive, visiting Fort Kochi, Tripunithura Hill Palace, Mattancherry Palace, Jewish Synagogue, Bolgatty Palace etc.

There are still many tourist hot spots in Cochin, that are not mentioned above and each of them are suited for people having different tastes and interests. Make sure that you visit these places before the weather in Cochin gets affected by the second phase of monsoon. Also don't forget to carry your camera along with you, so that you do not miss out on capturing the beauty of Cochin at its best.

Cochin Gets a New Logistics Hub

A major initiative is being shaping up to set up a Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWS) at the Wellington Island in Cochin this move is done in an effort to develop Willingdon Island as a logistics hub. The proposed Free Trade Warehousing Zone would be considered as a part of the master plan being prepared for the redevelopment and redesign of Wllingdon Island.

The idea behind this is to have a free trade warehousing zone which would be a global trading hub that links logistics and supply chain. The FTWS would be used  as a major source of warehousing for different products, logistics and distribution centre along with one-top clearance for export and import of goods and materials.

One of the major plus point that Wellington Island has as far as the new FTWS is concerned are the geo strategic location and is prominent water frontage. The proposed FTWS would be set up on an area of 100 acres and Cochin Port Trust has offered more flexibility, reduced tax rates and ease for operation for the FTWS project. The Cochin Port trust also plans to have a number of industries here once Wellington Island is elevated to a complete logistic hub. Two major industries that is expected to come at this Zone are tea and electronics.

Tea processing and its packaging and exports would be carried out from this Free Trade Warehousing Zone. Some of the major advantages of starting tea industry at FTWS is the proximity of Munnar tea gardens, the presence of major players such as Tata Tetley and the  tax deduction offered by SEZ

The electronic industry also has the same advantage as that of the tea industry. The electronics facility that is expected to come up at FTWS would act as an interlinking point for international suppliers and dealers along with the dealers and manufacturers in the country. For the electronic industry major activities such as packaging, re-packing, relabelling and consolidation would be carried out within the zone.

The warehousing facility which is planned to come up here will also be suited for ship ancillaries, food and beverages and furniture. Some of the major features of the warehouse include customized storage capability, sanitized and temperature controlled environment which would be made moisture and dust-free along with land, air and water connectivity.

Second Phase of Infopark Development Approved

In a meeting held on Monday involving the board of directors of Infopark Cochin, the second phase of Infopark development has got approval. The second phase of development includes 160 acres of land which is spread over Kunnathunadu and Puthencruz villages. Since the board has approved the expansion plans of Infopark, the second phase activities can be launched at the earliest. The preliminary works are supposed to be started in a couple of weeks.

Some of the major personals who attended the meeting included T Balakrishnan (Additional Chief Secretary Holding charge of Information Technology, Industries and Commerce), Alkesh Sharma, S Ramnath and Gigo Joseph. The land development works has been given to a major Cochin based construction company. Out of the 160 acres, 130 acres of land acquisition has been completed, where as the remaining lands are facing some sorts of legal issues.

The Board of Approval of the Union Ministry of Commerce had already granted special economic zone (SEZ) status to almost 31 acres of the area. The second phase of Infopark expansion is considered to bring about 80,000 jobs. The second phase is again planned to be completed in three phases. A software development block, a BPO complex and a convention center is planned to be set up initially.

The total investment for the second phase of Infopark development is estimate to be around Rs 2500 crore. Out of this Rs 475 crore would be invested by Infopark in the next 3 years. The second phase development of Infopark is also expected to provide a built up space of 8 million square feet.

Water and Power Supply to Be Interrupted in Cochin

The water supply to the areas in West Cochin would be interrupted on WEdnesday and Thursday as the realigning work on the pipes in  connection with the approach road for the newly constructed build at Venduruthy is taking place. The power supply would also be interrupted today between 9 AM to 5.30 PM due to some maintenance works. The areas that would be affected by the power supply include Karippalam, Thariyath, Shemabhava, Manja Bhagavathy, Mahiralapally, Chakkarayidukku, Bazaar road, Palliyarakavu, T D School, Cherlai, Kottukulam, Royal Gujarathi Road, Kombara Junction ,Palace Road, Homeo Hospital Road, CBI Road, Madavana Juncton, M G Road, Foreshore Road, Old Thevara Road, Jawahar Road, Pallumukku, AKG Road etc.

Cochin Seaport - Airport Waterway Project to Commence Soon

The much awaited prestigious project that connects the city of Cochin to the international airport at Nedumbaserry via the water network will commence in the month of August. The Seaport-Airport waterway will be connecting the city of Cochin to the airport through the waterway that stretches from the High Court jetty to the international airport in Nedumabassery. The prestigious project is expected to be completed within 18 months and the estimated cost of this project is Rs 107 crore.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) would the implementing agency of this project  and would be doing it with support from the Irrigation Department. The project will be covering a total area of 49.5-km stretch and the total distance will be covered as three different parts. One would be from Cochin Seaport to Eloor, another one from Eloor to Kanjoor and the third one from Kanjoor to Airport. The primary connection, in the first phase, will be the area from Cochin Seaport to Eloor, which is a  23-km stretch and is a part of the national waterway 3 (NW3) maintained by IWAI. Currently country boats are plying on this route.

The second phase of the project will be connecting Eloor to Kanjoor, which is a stretch of 26 km and is part of the famous river Periyar. Protection work of river banks is to be done at some portions and there are also some other thing to do to ensure safety through this route.

The third phase is a 500 metre final reach is a tributary of river Periyar known as Chengalthodu which is extensively silted. The development proposed through this route is deepening and widening of the existing Chengalthodu tributary requires extensive desilatation.

Once this project is completed, Kochi will become the first major port in India which have a direct inland waterway connectivity to the Airport. Another major benefit of this project is that it does not require any displacement or rehabilitation as there is no private property involved in the areas that the project is supposed to take place.

The project would also be surely going to give a major boost in the tourism development on the city. Another major advantage of this project is that the cargo movement through this connectivity will be very much economical and hence the cargo traffic in this region would also get a major uplift. By shifting the movement of goods items from roads to the waterways, the traffic congestion on the roads can be minimized to a certain extent.

Used Cars in Cochin - Where to Search for?

One of my friend needs a second hand car and he was searching for the last couple of months, but in vain. He couldn't find a car that matches his requirement and budget. He also contacted me regarding the availability of used cars, and we both went to several places to see different cars. But still my friend is not satisfied with them due to different reasons.

He is actually looking out for used Maruti cars, and in Cochin the chances of getting a good used Maruti car is more than in the rural areas. I have heard that there are certain showrooms in Cochin which sells used cars, but am not sure which one is the best. I see a lot of advertisements in the newspaper regarding showrooms which offers second hand cars for sale in Cochin.

Is it worthy buying cars from these showrooms, or should we need to take a mechanic along with us while visiting the showroom to check the condition of these cars. Do these showrooms do basic services on these cars before selling? If anybody have any idea about the best used car showroom in Cochin, please let me know through the comment section. The guy is looking for  Maruti models such as Alto and Zen which are in good condition and his budget is around 1.5 lakhs.

Bail Appeal for Apple Realtors Rejected by Court

The Eranakulam Principal Sessions Court on Thursday has rejected the bail Apple Realtors who have foxed hundreds of people, including several  NRIs, of money worth more than 1 billion Indian Rupees. The managing director  and  the director of the Cochin based Apple A Day Properties Ltd are the major culprits behind this real estate scandal. As per the police they have received around 250 complaints against the company so far and most of them have come from people who had paid the firm Rs 500,000 to Rs.3.5 million as advance towards purchasing apartments and villas in 11 different projects, which the company failed to deliver even after the expiry date of the deadline.

The judge have accused the company of collecting money from the people with the sole aim of cheating them and also pointed out that the real estate company have not even delivered a single unit in the last 5 years. As per the police, the promoters of the company had withdrawn the money from their accounts four months ago and lavished the money on luxuries. This was evident as they  found around 30 luxury cars in the name of the promoters.

The companies properties in various parts of the city and outside would soon be attached by the police. The promoters of the company are believed to be outside Kerala, and the police have started hunting for them hoping to arrest them soon. This is also considered to be one of the biggest real estate frauds in Kerala recently.

The Rains Have Made Cochin More Difficult to Travel

As we all know that the monsoon in Kerala have started in full swing and most of the places in Kerala are facing issues with the heavy monsoon rains. An the city of Cochin is not an exception, as it is famous for its water logging during the monsoon season. During the monsoon season Cochin is one of the worst city to visit as it would be heavily flooded at most of the places.

Two days back on a rainy day, I had to visit one of my friend in Cochin who stays near Mathrubhumi Junction at Kaloor. I was coming from Kakkanadu area and I decided to take the short cut from behind the Jawaharlal Nehru International stadium at Kaloor. Once I entered the compound surrounding the stadium, I was shocked to see the huge water logging that was present on the roads that run through the sides of the stadium. I was riding my bike and actually I had to pass through the huge water logging and some how managed to get through that. I thought that it was a rare instance and the rest of the path would be fine. But once I cut through a pocket road which lead to a housing colony near, I was totally confused as I was not able to differentiate between the drainage and the road, as there was yet another sever water logging there.

In between I had to restart my bike a several times as it stopped by itself while passing through the water. My shoes got damn wet and I couldn't even kick myself to start the bike. Some how I managed to reach my friend's house and I removed my shoes the moment I reached him. Since the condition of the roads were worse and it was getting dark, my friend told me to stay there that night and return the next day morning. So after thinking of the ride through the water logs of Cochin city, I decided to stay back and went back the next day when the water had  withdrawn a bit.

So if you are traveling by bike through the streets in Cochin in a monsoon season, always be prepared for the worst. That could be one of the most terrible ride of your lifetime.

Introduction to Cochin (Kochi)

Before blogging too much on this blog about Cochin (Kochi), let me give a brief introduction about this beautiful city in Kerala. Cochin is often called as the Queen of the Arabian Sea and is considered as the commercial capital of Kerala. Cochin is the second largest city in Kerala and is home to some of the most famous and biggest business ventures in Kerala. Cochin comes under the Eranakulam district and is governed by the Corporation of Cochin.

Cochin experiences  a tropical monsoon and is also a popular tourist destination in Kerala, as Cochin has a lot to offer such as the backwaters, beaches, palaces, ancient churches etc. Cochin is home to several major Industries and recently Cochin has become one of the  growing IT destination in India. More about Cochin would be covered later in this blog.