LONG WAIT: Residents of Saudi Junction, one of the drought-hit areas of West Kochi, are eagerly awaiting the proposed desalination plant to be set up by the GCDA. - Photo: VipinChandran

KOCHI: Chairman of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) Antony Isaac will put in his papers with the change of guard in Thriruvananthapuram.

He is expected to leave the office next week.

"A meeting of the executive committee has been convened on May 22 and I am planning to resign on May 24," Prof. Isaac said.

He is leaving the office even as many of the projects to be taken up by the authority are still in the initial stages.

While he claims that his successor might find going easy, as formalities of almost all the projects have been completed and funds identified, many key projects are still held up.

One of the main projects to be taken up by the authority was that of a desalination plant at Saudi in Fort Kochi.

This plant, which is expected to purify two-lakh litres of water daily, has been mooted as an effective solution to address the drinking water shortage in West Kochi.

"A desalination plant costing Rs.2 lakhs is being set up in the State for the first time. And so, we had taken all precautions to ensure the quality of service," he said. Even though the authority opened tenders quoted by nine companies on May 4, they were rejected due to technical reasons and a new tender was invited.

Even though the authority is going ahead with tender process, the 27-cent plot identified for the plant is yet to be acquired.

"The acquisition process has been delayed by the Revenue Department," said Prof. Isaac.

This was countered by A. P. M. Mohammed Hanish, District Collector. "We have not received any formal request in prescribed form from the Authority till now. Once that is got, we can acquire the land at the earliest," Mr. Hanish said.

Ring-road project

Extending the Marine Drive to meet the National Highway 17 and the Airport-Seaport Road to form a ring-road, to ease the traffic snarls in the city, is another key project that was started during this period.

A preliminary survey of the road and hydraulic survey of the backwaters along which the road is aligned were done.

However, a detailed survey had to be put off due to the Model Code of Conduct, which was in place for the Assembly elections.

Completing the roof of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, building Pappan Memorial Indoor Stadium at Varappuzha, developing a township on the 11.5-acre plot identified just off Aluva town and renovation of Ambedkar Stadium are other the projects on anvil.

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