KOCHI: The Children’s Science Park at Kalamassery is in for a makeover. The plan is to convert the 5.25-acre facility located near the government medical college into an amusement park. Towards that end, the Kalamassery municipality – which owns the park – has joined hands with the Vattiyoorkavu Youth Brigade Entrepreneurs’ Cooperative Society (VYBECOS).
The society, which will run the park for 15 years on a BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) basis, has submitted a two-phased proposal for Rs 4.5 crore to implement various facilities like trackless train and bouncy castle to lure more visitors. An initiative by Vattiyoorkavu MLA V K Prasanth to provide a wide range of services in various sectors including health and tourism, VYBECOS has been undertaking such activities in various parts of Kerala as part of its youth development programmes.
As per the plan, the money from entry-ticket sales will go to the municipality while the fare charged for specific rides and other activities will be shared between VYBECOS and the municipality. The society will also pay for the park’s insurance, employees’ salary, and maintenance expenses.
“VYBECOS plans to transform the Kalamassery Children’s Science Park into an adventure park while keeping the entry fee and other charges reasonable and providing appealing packages to the public,” VYBECOS director Vishnu J Menon told TNIE. He said work on the first phase will be completed by March and the second phase by next December. The first phase will have an investment of Rs 2.25 crore.
Confirming the development, Kalamassery municipality chairperson Seema Kannan said the proposal will be placed and discussed in the next council. The first phase work involves three zones. Trackless train services for adults and children, fish bath, bouncy castle, vertical reality centre, and a cafe are all included in Zone 1. Zone 2 is dedicated to water activities, such as kayaking, standup paddleboarding, coracle boating, pedal boating and floating bridges. Zone 3 is devoted to high-rope activities, with 10 different adventure activities like the couple zip line and the mini-family ropeway.
In the second phase, VYBECOS proposes to build a glass bridge over the pond at the site. The society has asked the municipality to extend the visitors’ time to benefit people coming from far.
The 8D theatre, butterfly garden and child-friendly play structures are the park’s main draws. While the park is open from 4pm until 9pm in the normal course, schools with prior authorization will have entry from 10am. The entry ticket to the park is priced at Rs 20 each, for both adults and children, while access to the 8D theatre is priced at Rs 30 for children under 15 and Rs 50 for those above 15.
The park has sold over 1.5 lakh tickets this year, until November. While it remains a major income source for the municipality, the absence of adequate transportation to the site remains a drawback.