KOCHI: Nearly a year has passed since the announcement of a ‘Green Corridor’ in the city. It was also announced, in August 2021, that the detailed project report (DPR) for the corridor -- a 2.5km stretch between Ernakulam Town and Ernakulam Junction railway stations -- will be ready by November. However, nothing has happened since then and the much-hyped proposal to decongest MG Road and Banerjee Road remains a non-starter.
Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar said the Covid pandemic and the slow pace of the smart city work have delayed the project. “There is no DPR. We have only carried out a survey and made estimates,” he said.
The project was to be implemented with a USD 1 million grant under the European Union’s Mobilise Your City (MYC) initiative, with the support of a French development agency.
Subsequently, the Railways, revenue department and the Kochi corporation held a joint inspection. The Mayor refused to divulge further details. According to the proposal, the ‘Green Corridor’ was to be 12m wide with cycle tracks, walkways and utility ducts. Electric-autorickshaws and battery-operated buggies were to ply on it. The proposal was studied by the students of the Government Engineering College, Thrissur, and the TKM Engineering College, Kollam.