Daily Archives: October 30, 2014

German bank offers loan for water transport project in Kochi

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Travel, World Opinion
Development of water transport network will improve the traffic scenario of the city and adjoining areas, says Mayor Tony Chammany. File photo
Development of water transport network will improve the traffic scenario of the city and adjoining areas, says Mayor Tony Chammany. File photo

Detailed discussions on the interest rates, tenure of the loan and repayment conditions had to be held, said Tony Chammany, Kochi Mayor.

KFW Development Bank, Germany, has offered a loan of Rs. 624 crore for developing a water transport network in the city and related works.

The terms and conditions of the financial aid have not been discussed yet. However, it is expected to be a soft loan. Detailed discussions on the interest rates, tenure of the loan and repayment conditions had to be held, said Tony Chammany, Kochi Mayor.

Usha Rao, the urban transport specialist of the bank, expressed the willingness of the agency to fund the project in a discussion with Elias Joseph, Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) in New Delhi. Kochi Corporation and KMRL had earlier held discussions with the agency seeking support for the water transport project and development of the Unified Metro Transport Authority, Mr. Chammany said.

The loans from external agencies have to be routed through the State and the Central governments. The State government has to write to the authorities for availing the financial aid. If the formalities for the loan could be completed, the bank would extend the loan before March next, he said.

Incidentally, Cities Development Initiative Asia (CDIA), an international agency, had conducted a detailed study for developing a water transport network in the city.The task of preparing a pre-feasibility study on the project was assigned to a Manila-based agency. The Initiative had also proposed a Rs. 400-crore project for identifying new ferry routes, modernisation of boat jetties and for launching modern boats.

Special Purpose Vehicle

The local body had earlier decided to form a Special Purpose Vehicle for managing the water transport system after the Kochi Corporation council approves the pre-feasibility study.

The local body had also sought financial aid from the CDIA for the formation of the Special Purpose Vehicle. Kochi Corporation had also written to the CDIA in this regard, said Mr. Chammany.

Since the development of the water transport network would go a long way in improving the traffic scenario of Kochi city and adjoining areas, the governments should take the initiative for obtaining the loan for Kochi Corporation, Mr. Chammany said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by  K. S. Sudhi / Kochi – October 30th, 2014

A walk to unearth Thiruvananthapuram’s past

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence

The Heritage Walk members also spent time at the War Memorial, an edifice that stands in the middle of a busy junction. But very few people know what it signifies.

Every Sunday, the members of Heritage Walk — including students, government employees, scientists and IT professionals — turn archaeologists as they attempt to explore the city’s labyrinth of bylanes and unearth fascinating stories about the city’s rich past. This Sunday, they trekked through one of the busiest parts of the city in Palayam, from the CSI Christ Church to the University Stadium, stopping along the way at the church cemetery, the War Memorial, and the OTC Hanuman Temple.

Because there was a mass going on, the walkers were unable to investigate the inside of the church complex in detail. It is one of the oldest Anglican church structures in the city, said to have been formally consecrated in 1859.

Memorial’s history

The Heritage Walk members also spent time at the War Memorial, an edifice that stands in the middle of a busy junction. But very few people know what it signifies. The structure is in memory of the men who were recruited from the erstwhile Travancore and lost their lives, “in service of the Empire during The Great War, 1914 to 1921.”

Moving on from the memorial, the group headed to the OTC Hanuman temple when the abbreviated OTC was expanded for the first time to many. “OTC stands for Officers Training Corps and the temple is known as such because it was built right next to the OTC building, the remnants of which still stand,” said archaeologist Elizabeth Thomas Tharakan, the coordinator of Heritage Walk.

The group headed to the high stands of the University Stadium, from where it was evident that this spot was important a century ago as well considering the age of the buildings around — the State Central Library, the CSI church, and the heritage structures at PMG Junction.

Every time the group congregates, there are new members joining the walk, said Ms. Tharakan. An encouraging sign that there are people in the city with an avid interest in their past. It has been a year since the first walk was held.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Kavya Pradeep Kumar / Thiruvananthapuram – October 27th, 2014