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The Hindu
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Construction of Thalassery sea bridge, skywalk to begin in October
Work on the much-anticipated sea bridge and elevated walkway, aimed at giving Thalassery tourism an international facelift, will commence in October. Speaker A.N. Shamseer, who inspected the site with officials, described the project as a major milestone in tourism development in the town. The ₹31-crore project, funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and executed by the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation, will be built entirely with stainless steel, ensuring durability for over a century. Jindal Stainless is the project consultant. Besides, ₹7 crore has been earmarked under the Nava Kerala Assembly initiative for beautification works from Centenary Park to Sea View Park. The project is expected to be completed within a year. The blueprint for the elevated walkway project was reviewed at a meeting chaired by the Speaker. Municipal chairperson K.M. Jamunarani, vice chairman M.V. Jayarajan, councillors, senior officials, and project representatives were present.
New Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Kerala's largest micro-irrigation project nears completion in Palakkad
PALAKKAD: In a major step towards tackling water scarcity in Palakkad's eastern belt, the first phase of the Moolathara Right Bank Canal extension project, touted as Kerala's largest community-based micro-irrigation initiative, is nearing completion. Designed to serve drought-prone areas in Chittur, particularly the Eruthenpathy panchayat, the 6.43-km canal stretches from Korayar to Varattayar with a width of 10 metres. The project aims to supply drinking and irrigation water to some of the most rain-deficient zones in the state, using modern drip and lift irrigation techniques for optimal efficiency. 'Serving areas that receive less than 1,000 mm of rainfall annually, this canal extension represents more than an engineering feat, it ensures water security, agricultural resilience and community-led development for Palakkad,' said Sudheer Padikkal, general manager of the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC), while speaking to TNIE. The villages of Kozhinjampara, Vadakarapathy and Eruthenpathy in the Chittur region lie in Kerala's rain shadow zone, which receives one-third of the state's average annual rainfall of about 3,000 mm. These areas are typically dry, with minimal vegetation, due to surrounding hills that block rain-bearing winds. Once completed, the first phase of the project will provide sustainable irrigation to 3,575 hectares, reducing water use by up to 70 per cent through precision drip systems and significantly increasing agricultural productivity. Officials said the initiative is expected to serve as a model for decentralised and climate-resilient irrigation infrastructure in Kerala. "Phase II of the extension—from Varattayar to Velanthavalam—is already underway and will cover additional areas, extending benefits to over 10,000 hectares once completed," Padikkal hoped. Launched in 2021 with an estimated cost of Rs 262.10 crore under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), the project is being executed by K K Constructions, under the supervision of KIIDC. In addition to modern infrastructure, the canal network will integrate several traditional irrigation systems, including century-old canals built during the reign of local kings such as the Kalyana-Krishna Iyer and Paul Souza canal systems, along with existing check dams on the Korayar and Varattayar rivers. 'Over 80 per cent of the first phase work is complete. We hope to commission it by early 2026,' Padikkal added.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
₹5 crore sanctioned for amenity centre at Ambalappuzha temple
The State government has sanctioned ₹5 crore for the construction of an amenity centre on the premises of Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple. H. Salam, MLA, said here on Friday that the centre spanning 17,300 sq ft across two floors would have nine deluxe rooms and a suite room on the ground floor, and 11 deluxe rooms and a suite room on the upper floor. In addition to spacious parking facilities, the centre will feature separate dormitories for men and women, storage space, and restroom facilities. 'The amenity centre is proposed as part of efforts to provide better accommodation with modern facilities for devotees, including those arriving from distant places for darshan at the Ambalappuzha temple. It will be constructed after demolishing the existing Devaswom sathram located to the southwest of the temple. The 40-year-old sathram had become uninhabitable due to wear and tear, and for the past two years, it has been functioning only partially. As a result, devotees from other regions currently rely on private lodges for accommodation,' Mr. Salam said. In addition to the amenity centre, the stage used for cultural programmes, along with the open-air auditorium, will also be reconstructed. Apart from the ₹5 crore, an additional ₹1 crore has been allocated from the Budget fund for the purpose. The construction of the amenity centre will be carried out by the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
More sediment, silt will be removed from dams: Min
T'puram: Water resources minister Roshy Augustine said that removing sediment and silt from dams to increase storage capacity can help address both flooding and water scarcity. The minister was inaugurating the new headquarters of the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC) at the Jalabhavan campus. Desilting work is being carried out at the Aruvikkara dam, which saw a reduction of up to 50% in its water storage capacity for the first time in 90 years. Idukki Malankara dam had to be opened this monsoon due to reduced storage capacity. The aim is to solve this issue through desilting. The desilting of the Aruvikkara dam is being overseen by KIIDC. Augustine mentioned that tender procedures to similarly renovate a few other dams will commence soon. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
The Hindu
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Second phase of groyne construction gains momentum
The second phase of groyne field (pulimuttu) construction using tetrapods along the Alappuzha coast is making progress. Forty-one groyne fields are being constructed by the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC) at a total cost of Rs. 107.8 crore sanctioned under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). Nineteen groynes with a total length of 1.8 km are coming up at Kakkazhom-Valajavazhi in the Ambalapuzha Assembly constituency, nine each at Ottamassery (960 m) in Cherthala and Kattoor-Polletahi (1 km) in Alappuzha and four at Nellanikkal (450 m) in Haripad. While the construction of groynes had already begun at Kakkazhom-Valajavazhi, Kattoor-Polletahi and Nellanikkal, work at Ottamassery was kick-started in the last week of May. 'We expect the work to gain momentum by next week,' said a KIIDC official. Ottamassery is the area most affected by sea surges in the Cherthala Assembly constituency, with 12 houses destroyed in recent years. The project to protect the coastline was conceived in 2021. Initially, an amount of ₹16 crore was sanctioned for constructing groyne fields at Ottamassery, but it proved insufficient. Following the intervention of Agriculture Minister P. Prasad, KIIFB sanctioned additional funds for the project. Though approval was granted based on a revised estimate of ₹30 crore, work was again stalled due to difficulties in procuring granite stones. Stones are now being transported from Konni in Pathanamthitta. In the first phase, KIIDC constructed 114 groynes with a total length of 11.26 km at five places — Kattoor, Ambalapuzha, Arattupuzha, Vattachal and Pathiyankara – at a cost of ₹223.18 crore sanctioned under KIIFB. The groynes were constructed using tetrapods weighing two and five tonnes. After laying granite stones of different sizes, tetrapods were placed on top. Groyne fields, built 100 m apart in areas prone to severe sea surges, were designed not to hamper the flow of floodwaters into the sea through existing channels. The groynes, which extend from the shore into the sea, are helping reduce the impact of waves and prevent coastal erosion.
