THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After Manaveeyam Veedhi, the tourism department is gearing up to open the second nightlife centre at Kanakakunnu - the iconic heritage monument in the heart of the capital.
According to official sources, the second nightlife spot will be thrown open to the public by February end or March first week.
Kanakakunnu was the first-ever location identified by the tourism department for launching a nightlife project in Kerala. Work to the tune of around Rs 2 crore was carried out on the premises to facilitate nightlife at Kanakakunnu. The efforts to open Kanakakunnu as the first nightlife centre in Kerala were put on hold following widespread protests by green activists in the capital. Later they moved the High Court seeking intervention claiming that the works being carried out Kanakakunnu were unscientific and illegal and causing widespread damage to age-old trees on the premises.
An official said that there is no stay order or objection from the High Court restricting the opening of Kanakakunnu as a nightlife centre. “The work has been completed and the place will be inaugurated after the upcoming assembly session. We aim to provide a safe space where people can sit, relax and enjoy nightlife,” said the official. The tourism department aims to allot the space for showcasing creative talents of youngsters as part of the Tourism Club.
“There are many talented youngsters who are part of the Tourism Club and we want to encourage them by giving them a platform so that they get bigger platforms in the future,” he added.
Ever since the announcement of the project, there have been widespread complaints on the part of residents and environmental activists. An official of the City Corporation said there are already complaints about noise pollution in the area. “Now events are happening at Nisagandhi once in a while and the residents are concerned as the launch of nightlife will aggravate the noise pollution,” said an official.
The green activists in the capital filed a public interest litigation urging the court to issue directions to stop construction activities, hard landscaping, excavation and demolition of structures. Following this, the HC issued an order restraining the state government from cutting trees on the Kanakakunnu Palace premises.
