Kerala - Kochi   

CPT to hand over land for marina by mid-October

Staff Reporter

Rs.50-crore project will be able to berth at least 60 yachts at a time

WORK IN PROGRESS: Reclamation work on at the site in Bolghatty Island where the marina is expected to come up. Photo: H. Vibhu

KOCHI: With the reclamation work on 15 acres of land from the backwaters expected to be over by October 15, the Cochin Port Trust (CPT) will hand over six to eight acres of land for the proposed marina in Kochi, Tourism Minister K.C. Venugopal said.

He was addressing mediapersons here on Sunday to announce the India International Boat Show, which will be held at Le Meridien Convention Centre from September 30 to October 2.

Malaysia-based Trans Resource Corporation (TRC), which had evinced interest in the marina project a year ago, had sought about 10 acres of land in the vicinity. The other stakeholder is Tourist Resorts Kerala Limited (TRKL).

The Rs.50-crores marina, coming up on the western end of Bolghatty Island, will be able to berth at least 60 yachts at a time.

Kochi was selected for the first marina project in India since the international shipping route between Britain and Australia passes close by. Even without a marina, dozens of yachts from foreign lands call at the port city during the tourist season.

E.K. Bharat Bhushan, Principal Secretary, Kerala Tourism, said that adventure and waters sports would begin within a month on the Muzhuppilangad Beach in Kannur. "This is being done on an experimental basis. Soon afterwards, water sport activities will be launched on the Cherai beach," he said.

He added that new hotels would soon come up in Wayanad and Bekal to promote tourism in Malabar. Wayanad is being showcased in a big way, he said.

On the question whether hurricanes in the U.S. would affect tourist inflow to the State, he said that in spite of such calamities, there is generally 100 per cent room occupancy in hotels across the State during the tourist season. The Additional Director, Kerala Tourism, Asok Kumar Singh, too was present at the press conference.

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