KOCHI: As a fitting tribute to Kochi City, which is heralded as the Queen of Arabian Sea, the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) is planning to install the statue of a mermaid queen in the middle of the city backwaters. The plan, which has been approved by GCDA, will be carried forward after obtaining the necessary sanction from Cochin Port Trust(CPT).
As per the idea approved by GCDA, the statue will be built on an area of around 314.45 square metre. The Queen of Arabia Sea statue will be given the shape of a mermaid which will have a total height of 301 feet. The ornaments of the statue will be made of sea shells and will have a wet finish. The statue will also have pearls and corals in her hands. Erected on a pillar, the smiling mermaid statue, will have spiral steps and four stairs towards the basement. In addition to this, a round shaped structure will be constructed around the statue along with a fountain around the pillar.
“We have already identified three spots in the backwaters near Marine Drive for installing the statue. Now we will have to hold discussions with the Cochin Port Trust and Indian Navy officials in Kochi for the permission and space allocation. Water space equivalent to nearly two acres of land will be required for the project. The plan is to construct the statue along with the space for recreation facilities in the centre of the backwaters so as to attract more tourists to Kochi, which is one of the major tourist spots in the state,” GCDA chairman N Venugopal said.
He said that like major international cities such as New York, which has the Statue of Liberty and Paris, with Eiffel Tower, Kochi too will have a landmark of its own, if the ambitious project is realised. “We are yet to decide the actual cost of the project. The project estimate can be prepared only after identifying the location. However, the design submitted by an architect is almost finalised,” he added.
The chairman added that the statue will give a 3D view to the visitors and the Queen of Kochi will be one of the major projects that GCDA is planning to execute in the year 2015. “The project will be totally eco-friendly one and will not affect the signaling procedures of Port,” Venugopal said.