The state government has given in principle approval to the second phase development of Marine Drive.
A meeting convened by chief minister Oommen Chandy at Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, has entrusted the Greater Cochin Development Authority with the task of submitting a detailed project report within three months.
“The government has asked the GCDA to assign expert agencies to study the environment impact assessment of the project and to prepare a detailed report. The agencies will prepare the report within three months and submit it to the government for approval,” said N.Venugopal, GCDA chairman.
The second phase development stretches to 10.5 km, from the Goshree Island Development Authority land near the High Court to Varappuzha container road.
It involves largescale reclamation of the backwaters. This stretch is also the first phase of the proposed 65-km long ring road project earlier announced by the GCDA.
As part of the project, the authority plans to set up a world trade centre, international convention centre and an entertainment zone. It plans to undertake the project on a public-private-partnership basis.
The meeting was convened under the initiative of Hibi Eden, MLA. Minister K. Babu, MLAs V.D Satheesan, Benny Behanan, Dominic Presentation, Anwar Sadath, and Ludy Louis, GCDA chairman N. Venugopal, Port Trust chairman Paul Antony, district collector P.I. Sheikh Pareeth and GCDA secretary V. Gopalakrishna Pillai also attended the meeting.