GCDA to upgrade civic infrastructure

In its budget for 2013-14, the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) announced several mega projects to upgrade civic infrastructure like roads, water supply. The budget aims to complete the long-pending project of the agency – widening the Chilavanoor Bund Road to a 15-metre road —this year. The road running parallel to the congested SA Road will provide a new link from NH Bypass, near Vyttila, to Thevara. In order to provide a link from the city to both NH 17 and NH 47, the authority planned to set up a Ring Road passing through Vaduthala, Pachalam and Kadamakudy. It allocated Rs 6 crore for the first phase of the 10.50-km-long Ring Road in the budget. The first phase work begins from Chatiath, located off Marine Drive, and ends at Varapuzha. The authority also plans to seek grants under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and the state government for completing the 36-metre-wide road. GCDA would spend a total of Rs 50 lakh on developing the Pandarchira-Manassery Road in West Kochi. Evictees will be rehabilitated on land owned by the GCDA. It has set apart Rs 10 lakh for the preparatory works. Another Rs 25 lakh would be used to study the possibility of using the existing railway lines to operate suburban trains.