The Hindu : Walkway along Veli, Aakkulam lakes soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 08, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Walkway along Veli, Aakkulam lakes soon

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 7. City residents may soon take off to the lakefront for a stroll, thanks to a project taken up by the Tourism Department for the construction of a walkway fronting the Veli and Aakkulam lakes.

The Rs.1.5-crore project, aimed at boosting the tourism potential of the city, involves the construction of a concrete walkway originating from the boat landing centre at the Veli park and covering a distance of about 1.5 km along the Aakkulam route, up to the TS Canal.

The walkway consists of prefabricated slabs jutting out into the lake. The structure is supported by a retaining wall made of rubble packing. The slabs are laid as cantilever arms with a two-step seating arrangement on the landside acting as a counter weight.

Paved with tiles, the walkway will be six feet above the high water mark. The path bordering the walkway has been planned to double up as a cycle track or a passage for wheelchairs. The path will also accommodate underground cable ducts for lighting. Flower boxes and lampposts will be provided at six metre intervals along the walkway.

Hugging the bank along the entire route, the walkway will provide a good view of the lake. The designers have done away with railings to avoid the possibility of people crowding near the edge. The project being executed by the Irrigation Department is already halfway through. The designers claim that the project has been planned to provide the perfect ambience for a relaxed stroll in the salubrious environs of the lakefront.

The construction of the walkway has been completed along a distance of 0.5 km while the work of rubble packing is in progress along the entire stretch. The prefabrication of slabs is being done on the premises of the Veil youth hostel.

The Tourism Secretary, T. Balakrishnan, has said the first phase of the project will be completed by March this year. While the walkway is estimated to cost Rs.1.5 crores, another Rs.2 crores will be spent on dredging the lake.

The Tourism Department has also tendered the work for a new amusement park on the strip of land bordering the TS Canal. The project is to be executed on a BOT basis.

In the second phase of the project, a foot overbridge will be constructed across the canal and the walkway extended up to the Aakkulam bridge. A landscaped park with pedestrian paths has been planned at the Aakkulam end, with an approach road from the National Highway Bypass.

The second phase will be integrated with the Canal Walk project.

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