KOCHI: It’s tricky to crystal gaze 2021, especially since the predictions of 2020 went out of the window, thanks to Covid-19. It appears 2021 will be even tougher as the newly-identified strain of the virus has left everyone puzzled. Still, 2021 will not be devoid of major developments. TNIE sticks its neck out to predict the 10 big events to watch out for in the New Year.
Infra boost
The New Year will allow motorists in the state to breathe easy as major roads and flyovers will be opened for traffic. These include the long-delayed 700m-long Vyttila and 780m-long Kundannoor flyovers, which will be inaugurated on January 9, and the 6.8km-long Alappuzha bypass, which will be opened later in January.
February
Movie buffs, get ready
For a movie buff, the biggest event in the Kerala film circuit in 2021 will undoubtedly be the 25th International Film Festival (IFFK). Postponed from December 2020, the festival will be held from February 12 to 19. However, its conduct will depend on the global Covid-19 situation. The deadline to submit screening materials is January 20. Fingers crossed!
First leg of Gail pipeline
The first leg of the 620-km Kochi-Bengaluru Gail pipeline, which begins from Koottanad in Palakkad and extends up to Walayar on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, will be commissioned in January. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to launch the project, which will supply natural gas to Palakkad town and to Kanjikode and other industrial estates in the district. The project, initially estimated to cost `2,500 crore, was stuck due to public and political pressure which delayed land acquisition.
Jan-Feb
Cruise on the Metro
The Kochi Water Metro network, being developed for J678 crore, will commence services sometime in January or February. The facility will have 38 stations on 15 routes covering a distance of 78.6km. It is expected to solve the travel woes of islanders in Vypeen, Willingdon, Edakochi, Kumbalam, Nettoor, Vyttila, Eloor, Kakkanad, Bolgatty and Mulavukadu. It will also provide connectivity to major tourist destinations in Ernakulam.
most-awaited vaccination
Developments regarding the Covid-19 vaccination would be keenly followed in 2021. The Health department will roll out vaccine dry run in four districts on January 2. Health Minister K K Shailaja said recently that registration for the vaccine has entered final stages in Kerala. As per plan, anganwadi workers will be among the first to receive the vaccination. About 27,000 ASHA workers are also included in the list.
november
The delayed
Biennale
Covid-19 pushed the fifth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale from its scheduled start on December 12, 2020 to November 1, 2021. Ahead of this, the Students’ Biennale, to be held on February 21, will be held entirely online. Curated by artist Shubigi Rao, the fifth edition, titled, ‘In our veins flow ink and fire’, will be spread across several venues in Fort Kochi, including spice godowns and warehouses.
ETA: unknown
First leg of Gail pipeline
The first leg of the 620-km Kochi-Bengaluru Gail pipeline, which begins from Koottanad in Palakkad and extends up to Walayar on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, will be commissioned in January. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to launch the project, which will supply natural gas to Palakkad town and to Kanjikode and other industrial estates in the district. The project, initially estimated to cost `2,500 crore, was stuck due to public and political pressure which delayed land acquisition.
ETA: unknown
An end to the decades-long dispute?
This might sound like wishful thinking. However, the conciliatory talks initiated by PM Narendra Modi to resolve the decades-long dispute between the Jacobite and Orthodox factions of the Malankara Church have triggered hopes of a solution. However, with both factions remaining adamant on their respective stance, it remains to be seen whether the deadlock would be broken this year.
ETA: unknown
Now showing
Though there is no respite from Covid-19 spread, the film industry and cinema buffs have been demanding the reopening of theatres. Though risky, we can expect that theatres will reopen in 2021, albeit with fewer moviegoers. Meanwhile, buoyed by the success of films like C U Soon and Sufiyum Sujatayum in 2020, more films are expected to be released via OTT (over-the-top) platform such as Amazon Prime, Hotstar and Netflix.
January
Back to real Classrooms
Schools and colleges, which remained shut for almost the entire 2020 owing to Covid-19, will reopen this month. While govt schools (Classes 10 and 12) will reopen on January 1, CBSE schools will resume physical classes on January 4. Colleges and universities will start classes with 50% strength. It remains to be seen how this will pan out as Kerala continues to record the highest number of daily Covid cases in the country.
April-may
Democracy in Action
Perhaps, the major event for Kerala in the New Year would be the assembly elections, likely in April or May. After five years of LDF rule, Kerala will go to the polls to elect the next government. LDF’s victory in the recently-concluded local body poll has given the Left front momentum, while the Congress-led UDF, which faced a drubbing, has got just four months to recover. So far, Kerala has always alternated between LDF and UDF every five years. Will 2021 be different? Will LDF beat anti-incumbency? We will know soon.
The performance of people’s alliances will also be under watch in the assembly elections
While BJP-led NDA improved its performance in the local body polls this time, it remains to be seen whether it will increase its representation in the state assembly
January
Back to real Classrooms
Schools and colleges, which remained shut for almost the entire 2020 owing to Covid-19, will reopen this month. While govt schools (Classes 10 and 12) will reopen on January 1, CBSE schools will resume physical classes on January 4. Colleges and universities will start classes with 50% strength. It remains to be seen how this will pan out as Kerala continues to record the highest number of daily Covid cases in the country.