Rehab block for Palayam traders soon

Around 2,000 tonnes of accumulated legacy waste biomined and removed to facilitate construction of rehabilitation block
The site where the rehabilitation blocks for the traders of Connemara market are coming up near Palayam | B P Deepu
The site where the rehabilitation blocks for the traders of Connemara market are coming up near Palayam | B P Deepu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The long-pending project to revamp the century-old Palayam Connemara Market is gathering steam with Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) gearing up to construct the rehabilitation block for the traders who would be displaced to facilitate the project. 

According to official sources, biomining of the accumulated legacy waste at the site identified to construct the rehabilitation block near the Palayam market has been completed and the construction of the new blocks which would house around 450 traders would begin this month. 

The plan is to set up temporary structures made of prefabricated materials to rehabilitate the traders. Revamping of the Palayam market has been pending for more than a decade now. Though several projects were planned in the past, the authorities failed to implement them. The pandemic outbreak has adversely affected the biomining project and caused the delay.

The century-old Palayam Connemara market | B P Deepu
The century-old Palayam Connemara market | B P Deepu

Palayam ward councillor and former town planning committee chairman Palayam Rajan said that biomining and removal of 2,000 tonnes of legacy waste have been completed and the construction of the new blocks would begin soon. As much as Rs 94 lakh has been spent for biomining, which involves the process of using strong inoculums to extract non-biodegradable waste from heaps of accumulated waste.

“The revamp project would be launched only after rehabilitating the traders at Palayam market. There are many traders who don’t own stalls at the market and they also would be allotted space for vending in designated areas around the market,” said Rajan. The plan is to complete the construction of the rehabilitation block, which is expected to cost around Rs 12.68 crore, within 12 months. 

An official associated with the project said the revamp project would be launched soon after the completion of the rehabilitation blocks. “It will take 24 months to complete the revamp project,” said the official. The whole project is expected to give a fresh lease of life for the iconic market and cost around Rs 113.62 crore. 

As part of the project, a hi-tech fish and meat market would be constructed on the ground floor and the displaced traders would be given designated stalls in the new market. The first and second floors of the market would be used for commercial purposes. In addition to the parking area in the market, the authorities are also planning to set up a multi-level car parking facility worth `32 crore near the market. These lots are expected to resolve the parking crisis on MG Road. 

Quick look  

Total project cost Rs 113.62 cr

Time of completion 24months

Traders to be rehabilitated 450 

Key features 

Hi-tech fish and meat market

Deep refrigerator for safe storage of fish

Dedicated stall with a mobile charging dock and water tap for each vendor

Multi-level parking facility which can accommodate over 500 cars

Protection of the heritage wall in front of the market

  • Effluent treatment facility
  • Facility to park around 250 cars in the building

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