Kochi to be turned into a beautified, litter-free city

The city of Kochi may soon sport a cleaner, more beautified look, free from littering, thanks to a new project modelled after the long-standing initiative in Sultan Bathery town.

To begin with, the stretch between High Court Junction and Durbar Hall Ground will be beautified. This was one of the three projects inaugurated by Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar at Queen’s Walkway on Tuesday. The other two included the declaration of the stretch between Mangalavanam and Durbar Hall Ground as a ‘silent zone’ and the inauguration of the renovated Queen’s Walkway.

T.J. Vinod, MLA, presided over the function, and Mayor M. Anilkumar welcomed the gathering. Hibi Eden, MP, Deputy Mayor K.A. Ansiya, Metropolitan Committee chairman Benedict Fernandes, Coastal Zone Inspector General A. Akbar, and District Police Chief (Kochi City) Putta Vimaladitya were the chief guests.

The urban beautification project aims to establish a permanent mechanism for maintaining clean pavements and adjoining areas, while also beautifying medians and compound walls of nearby establishments by planting flowering plants. Accordingly, the Horticulture Society has drawn up a plan detailing the types of plants to be grown along the compound walls of firms on Shanmugham Road. The respective firms have volunteered to maintain the plants on their premises.

The broader goal is to transform Kochi into a litter-free and aesthetically pleasing city by gradually expanding the project. In addition to the participating firms, organisations such as Rotary Club, YMCA, and Lions Club have also agreed to join the effort as and when they are assigned specific roads.

The Queen’s Walkway along Chathiath Road has been upgraded with granite-tiled pavements and LED lighting.

The newly declared silent zone will extend from Abraham Madamakkal Road to Shanmugham Road and Park Avenue Road up to Durbar Hall Ground. It will encompass areas including Mangalavanam, High Court, Bishop’s House, Government Guest House, Subhash Park, Children’s Park, Law College, Maharaja’s College, and the General Hospital. Initially, ‘No Horn’ boards will be installed, followed by public awareness campaigns and training to fully convert the stretch into a silent zone.