Kochi SmartCity Construction Works to Start in November

As per the latest news, Dubai's Tecom and partners are planning to start the construction of the prestigious SmartCity project in Kochi by November.

The second project monitoring committee meeting of the SmartCity Kochi project was held yesterdat in Dubai under the Chairmanship of Ahmad Humaid Al Tayer, Member of the Supreme Fiscal Committee of Dubai. The meeting was also by  prominent persons such asAbdul Latheef Al Mulla, Vice-Chairman, SmartCity and Group CEO Tecom, Dr Adnan Chilwan, Deputy CEO, Dubai Islamic Bank, Suresh Kumar, CEO of Emirates NBD Capital, Yousuf Ali M.A., Vice-Chairman of Norka Roots, Government of Kerala, and Dr Baju George, Managing Director, SmartCity.

The meeting reviewed the progress of the SmartCity Kochi project and set a time line for the activities that is supposed to be completed in the first year. The meeting also allotted the required funds for the same. As per the reports from various sources, the construction works of the Kochi SmartCity project would start on 29th September. As per the project plan the work on the headquarters building of the Cochin SmartCity project would start from November 19th and the committee  have also included Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy as a special invitee to the SmartCity Kochi board. Apart from Oommen Chandy, Kerala Ports and Excise Minister K. Babu and Yousuf Ali M.A. have also been included as special invitees.

As per Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, things are moving fast and work would begin next month according to the time table  and all the hitches seems to be over enough to make the SmartCity Kochi project move on a fast track.

It was Shri Oommen Chandy who had first finalised the proposed mega IT project during  his previous tenure as the Chief Minister of Kerala.  But unfortunately during the Left Democratic Front reign, headed by V.S. Achuthanandan  nothing else happened except for the foundation stone laid for the project.

Cruise Tourism is Back in Cochin

With the country’s first cruise liner AMET Cruises launching its operations from the first week of October, Kochi is all set to welcome the prestigious cruise tourism. The M V AMET Majesty will be initially setting sail from Kochi to Maldives, Lakshwadeep and  would also be undertaking a cruise on the high sea.

The M V AMET Majesty would sail from Kochi to Maldives (four nights), Kochi-Lakshadweep (two nights) every week and would also operate one high-sea trip during the night for those trying something new for holidaying.

The AMET cruise has introduced a new and unique holiday format, recreation and entertainment in the country. Before, the only the foreign cruise liners used to visit the Indian ports  and were always focused towards the rich people. But now AMET cruise has come out with the rightly priced packages which bring cruise tourism options within the reach of the urban middle class. The minimum price for the cruise would be around Rs 5,000 per person for a night and port charges. Special packages would be offered for those who book the cruise in advance.

The AMET cruise is planning to operate throughout the year and would operate in the west coast from October to March and in the east coast from April to September.

Some of the features of the AMET cruise include dance floor, disco casinos, show lounges bars, swimming pool, barbeque, conference room, kids’ zone, event floor for business meets, seminars, trade shows, anniversaries and social gatherings. Apart from these the cruise comes with luxurious state rooms, suites and stag cabins.

India’s First International biennale to be Hosted in Cochin

India’s first international Biennale in November next year is all set to be hosted in Cochin which would be pushing Kerala's tourism appeal to new heights. A record number of 1.3 million visitors from across the world are expected to meet at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale during the three months. The event would begin on November 2012 in the heritage zones of the city in order to view works by some 75 artists from 45 countries as part of a visual arts festival taking place in Kochi and Muziris. Both Kochi and Muziris are an area  which boasts of rich and unique culture and history.

The chief promoters of the event are in talks with many corporate houses on behalf of  sponsorship including household brands such  as car companies and leading banks. All these companies are interested in supporting the event and  the promoters are hoping to forge long-term relationships with them for at least three biennales. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is inspired by the world’s oldest Biennale in Venice, and aims to bring together superstars in the art world across the globe and young budding local talents in the centuries old city which boasts of rich legacies of Europe, Africa, South East and Far East Asian and as well as China.

The legendary Muziris port city which  existed until the flood of 1341, was discovered during the recent excavations at the nearby region in Kodungalloor. Kerala government is planning to build a tourism circuit in the near future. Muziris is actually known as the gateway to Judaism, Christianity and Islam in India and  its rich maritime history dates back to 1st century BC. The biennale comes in handy for the Kerala which wields its soft power to attract tourists.

The Kochi Biennale Foundation will be restoring the heritage buildings built by the Dutch, Portuguese, the English and the local Maharajahs to their past glory and would be left to the participating artists to exhibit their works. The cost of the maiden edition of the Biennale is estimated to be at Rs750 million and the state government would be offering a part of financial support for the same.

Cochin to Male Ferry Service to Start Soon

A bi-weekly passenger-cum-ferry service between Cochin and Male (Maldives) will be starting soonn. Initially the ferry service between Cochin and Male is to be run by a private operator but facilities on either port of call should be arranged by the concerned ports.

Request for Proposal (RFP) documents along with possible terms and conditions for the service are to be considered and approved by the nodal Ministries of India and Male. Ministry of Shipping, Government of India and the Ministry of Transport and Communication, Government of Male will be initiating work on getting all necessary clearances to operationalise the ferry service at the earliest. Pending finalization of the RFP, the two sides will invite Expressions of Interests (EoI) from interested private parties for starting this ferry service. Shipping Corporation of India under the Ministry of Shipping would be assisting on the technical aspects in operationalising the service.

New Traffic Regulations in Cochin City

Based on Metro Analysis discussions held yesterday between Kochi Metro officials and District administration along with other stakeholders like City Police, Municipal council officials, Corporation the traffic to the city is planned to be streamlined once the North Railway Over Bridge (ROB) will be partly demolished for the purpose of reconstruction.

The City Traffic Police in Cochin presented he following proposals, which is submitted for Approval from the District Administration.

1. There will be traffic curbs and restrictions from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM in all parts of the Cochin city, particularly in North ROB-Kaloor area.

2. Buses plying from Kaloor Bus stand and KSRTC Buses operating to South, Boat Jetty Bus station should ply over partly demolished North ROB

3. Buses plying from Kakkanad side, operating via Edappally, will have to use  the Palarivattom Round and take diversion to Thammam road, enter into the MG Road, via TP road.
4) KSRTC Buses from Northern sides, bound to KSRTC Station in Rajaji Road, after servicing at Kaloor Bus stand, should  take diversion to Kaloor Kadavanthara road via Kathrikadavu Overbridge and enter into City via South Overbridge and reach Rajaji Road through MG Road.

5. Buses plying in Aluva-Fort Kochi route or buses from Aluva to MG Road, Chittoor Road etc should enter the city via Container road, by taking exit at Kalamasserry.

6. Non Commercial vehicles like private cars etc from the CBD to Kaloor, Edappally side, must ply thro' Chittoor Road-Ayyappankavu-Pottakuzhi-Elamakkara and reach Kaloor.

7. All Heavy commercial vehicles like freight lorries etc are banned from entering into the city during the peak hours. Heavy vehicles, containers etc are allowed to enter CBD only after 9:00 PM and must exit before 7:00 AM. And those operating, must operate via Container terminal road or South ROB.

A few roads will also  be declared as One Way roads, such as

1. Kacheripady-Valanjambalam stretch of the Chittoor Road
2. C.P Ummer Road which will be one way from North to south direction
3. St.Benatick Road will be one way from West side to East

Parkings will be prohibited in these roads and few stretches from Edappally to Banerjee Road side as well as in KK Road.

CREDAI Kerala Property Show in Cochin from July 29

The Kochi Chapter of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India(CREDAI) is  a body of real estate developers representing over 6,000 developers. The Kochi Chapter would be organising the CREDAI Kerala Property Show at Marine Drive from July 29th to  31st.

As per M V Antony,  the Chairman of CREDAI, CERA would be the main sponsor and will showcase 47 builders, seven banks and major home- accessory manufacturers in 87 stalls covering 32,000 sq ft. Apart from these, there will also  be displays of imported street cleaning machines, the CREDAI Clean City E-toilet and other stalls showing the centralised solid waste management system in apartments and gated colonies, which are part of its much anticipated corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity, the CREDAI Clean City Movement.

There will also be various competitions for adults and kids such as ‘Home interior photo session’ and ‘My dream home painting' and the shows will be from 10 am to 8 pm. Union Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi would be inaugurating the property show at 3 pm on July 29. The Show would be the largest property show of its kind in Kerala  and would help Kochiites to choose their dream homes. The Clean City Movement is a major initiative of CREDAI’s CSR activities and has been initiated to upgrade the civic amenities in Cochin.

Hi-Tech Double-Decker Boats Coming Soon in Cochin

Hi-tech double-decker boats will be coming soon in Cochin and would be flaunted by the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA). The arrival of double decker boats would offer you an opportunity to have a  luxurious ride across the backwaters of Kochi. The air-conditioned double-decker boats would be launched by GIDA in December. The double decker boat service would be connecting the major islands of the city.

The GIDA would be using its own funds for the purchase of the double decker boats and the cost is estimated  to be around Rs 60 lakh. A tender will be called soon to identify the best suited agency for the construction of the boat. The Kerala Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation (KITCO) would also be helping in the preparation of the tender. A technical committee would scrutinize the tenders and the committee will be consisting experts from the water transport sector.

The double-decker boats in Cochin would be the most modern type and navigable even through shallow waters with a depth of around 80 cm. The upper deck of the boat will be fully air-conditioned and will connect Ernakulam-Willingdon Island-Mattanchery-Fort Kochi islands. At the same time GIDA is planning to begin ferry services to Bolgatty, Vallarpadam, Mulavukadu, Kadamakkudy and Vypeen.  New boat jetties would also be constructed in areas which lack basic facilities to support the boat services.

The Kochi Corporation is also planning to purchase new hi-tech boats under the Jawaharlal Nehru national Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). If both the projects are carried out  in a timely manner, they will surely be uplifting the water transport sector and help solve the travel woes of the islanders.

Rs 250 crore to Be Invested by Asset Homes in the Next Two Years

Asset Homes, the Cochin based real estate company will be investing Rs 250 in the coming two years as a part of commissioning its nine ongoing projects. As per K A Mohamed Salim, the Managing Director of Asset Homes, the company is planning to expand its business into the major south Indian cities such as Chennai and Bangalore.

The new projects that are proposed in Kerala would be coming at locations such as Kozhikode, Kannur,  Thrissur and Kottayam. Of these the projects at Kozhikode and Kottayam would be commenced in the next two months. Besides these the company would also be launching five premium residential projects  in the major locations of Ernakulam district such as Aluva, Palarivattam, Cheranalloor, Pallimukku, Jawahar Nagar and Kalamassery.

The company will soon launch a project named Picasso Palette at Devalokam Kottayam and this would be followed by a second project at Kanjikuzhy.

Asset Homes boasts of completing and delivering 23 projects in 46 months. Asset Ipulse near Infopark, Kakkanad is their 24th project which is supposed to be launched on July 23.

Monsoon Book Fest at Cochin Started

Book reading is a habit that most of us have ignored in the current lifestyle. Only a few people take time to read books and most of the others are engaged in other hitech activities such as watching movie, browsing internet and so on. Book reading was once a ingredient time pass of the majority of us, but the technological advances have seen a major dip in the book reading habits of people. In Kerala also, the situation is not different. But still there are some good guys who haven't given up the habit of reading books and they try to spend some good time reading quality books.

In Cochin also there are some people who still goes on with their book reading habit and are really fond of good books. For those who are still interested in reading new books, there is a grand and good news for them. The Monsoon Book Fest has started at the DC Books, Panampilly Nagar in Cochin and is there to stay for almost for the next 20 days. The Monsoon Book Fest at DC Books in Panampilly Nagar started on July 1st and would be there till 25th of July. This book fest in Cochin offers a wide range of books in English and Malayalam for the reader and also provides other attractions such as conducting a daily lucky draw contest. Apart from this they are also offering decent discount for the books that are being showcased at the exhibition.

So if you are addicted or serious about books, then you should surely visit this book fest at Cochin. There are still 20 days left and you will be getting plenty of time to plan your visit. Below given is the address for the venue where the Cochin Monsoon Book Fest is happening.

DC Books,
The Kairali Co-operative Housing Society,
South end Panampilly Nagar. 
Cochin

You can also call 9745604781 (Mr Rajeev) for more details bout the Monsoon Book Fest at Cochin.

Railway Water Tank Wagon Derailed in Cochin

A railway water tank wagon got derailed in Cochin and since there was no other trains in the nearby rail a great disaster got avoided. The water tank wagon was going from the maintenance yard near Kathrikkadavu to Ernakulam south railway station when the accident occurred near the Kathrikkadavu bridge in Cochin.

The train had 16 wagons and it was the 9th wagon which got derailed and fortunately the wagon did not carry water that time. The wagon used to carry water from Aluva to the maintenance yard in Ernakulam. The train was going to fill water when the incident occurred. A crane had to be deployed to put the wagons back on track by the evening.

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.

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.

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.