KOCHI: The ambitious Electronic Hardware Park project in Amballoor that aimed to modernise the city’s business image has been scrapped, according to Industries Minister P Rajeeve. He said the project could not meet the demands of the Paddy and Wetland Act. The minister added that the government will consider shifting the project to another area with fewer restrictions.
The Amballoor project, expected to generate over 5,000 jobs and invite investment to the tune of nearly Rs 1,000 crore in the first three years, was a priority on the election manifestos. Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) was entrusted with the setting up of the park on around 100 acres of land spread across Amballoor, Mulanthuruthy and Manakkunnam villages on either side of the Konoth river.
Rajeeve said the state had to be very cautious about going ahead with the project considering the geography of the area. The CRZ regulations and the presence of Ramsar sites and eco-sensitive zones of the Western Ghats have to be considered before initiating any project, he added.
“Three factors — Ramsar, CRZ and Environment Protection Act — are affecting the proposed land in Amballoor. So, we are considering some other area where these restrictions don’t apply. In Perumbavoor, 30 acres of the land belonging to Rayons, the textile firm that was shut down, is with the government. Another 30 acres will be added to this shortly. We have directed a feasibility study in the area to check the possibility for an electronics park,” the minister said.
He also hinted that though the electronic park was scrapped, the plot in Amballoor can be considered for other projects like tourism, which doesn’t affect the land. KSIDC has been directed to check the possibilities of other projects in the acquired land.
What is Ramsar?
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands
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