Rejuvenation of Akkulam Lake drags on
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rejuvenation of lakes, streams and rivers seem to be one of the key policies of the current government. However, the long-pending rejuvenation of Akkulam Lake launched during the LDF government’s previous term continues to drag on. Though Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) has sanctioned `64.13 crore for the rejuvenation project, the lowest bid received was above `100 crore which has stalled the project inordinately.
Akkulam Lake, which used to be one of the popular tourism destinations in the capital, continues to be in a neglected state, while encroachments continue and the civic authorities and district administration turn a blind eye towards the blatant violation of CRZ norms. According to studies, the lake area has come down by 31.06% since 1942 and by 9.86% in the last five years. As per the resurvey carried out a few years ago, the lake is spread over 64 hectares.
The successive governments had spent crores of rupees to rejuvenate the lake but failed to yield any result. The tourism department came up with a comprehensive plan to restore the past glory of the lake in 2018, but the project is yet to take off owing to cost escalation.
Former tourism minister and MLA Kadakampally Surendran, who conceived the project, told TNIE that the project is very much alive and would be implemented in a time-bound manner. In the wake of corruption allegations and apprehensions regarding the previous projects implemented to rejuvenate the lake, the department this time has adopted the Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (DBOT) model for the new plan.
Wapcos Limited, the special purpose vehicle (SPV) roped in by the department for executing the project, which aims to improve water quality, submitted the revised estimates of the project several months ago. “We have negotiated with the contractor and brought down the project cost by removing several components. KIIFB cannot approve the revised estimates as the cost escalation is more than 10%. Hence, the project can progress only after getting the cabinet approval,” said an official associated with the project.
Kadakampally said the project will be presented in the cabinet meeting soon. “It’s a three-year-long project and would be implemented in a phased manner. The contractor taking up the project would be maintaining the lake for a period of 15 years. We want the project to be sustainable. Several eco-friendly projects would be implemented as part of the project and the lake would turn into a major tourist attraction in the state,” he said.
The detailed project report was prepared by the Transitional Research and Professional Leadership Centre (TRPLC) under the Government Barton Hill Engineering College. The centre has proposed many natural treatment techniques to reduce pollution in the lake. The DPR proposes immediate interventions, water treatment components for lake, boating channel creation, etc.