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New Indian Express
19-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Illegal parking near Thiruvananthapuram Museum police station poses headache to public
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rampant illegal parking in front of the Museum police station and the Sooryakanthi Road stretch and encroachment by vendors are posing a major headache for residents and commuters alike. Repeated complaints to remove the encroachments have failed to elicit any action from either the city corporation or the police. Making matters worse, vehicles impounded by the Museum police are also parked around the station premises, adding to people's inconvenience. Even recently, the residents approached the Museum police station house officer seeking necessary action to prevent unauthorised parking. 'Unauthorised parking is rampant along the main road from the Museum to Kanakakunnu and Sooryakanthi Festival Ground, as well as on internal roads connecting Vellayambalam, Kowdiar and Nandavanam. It is alarming that such blatant violations are happening right in front of the police station,' said Sanjeev S J, an activist who had filed a complaint against the issue with the Museum police. There are around two major apartment complexes and around 450 houses in the region that are badly affected by the parking crisis. T K Faisal, secretary of the Kanakakunnu Residents Association, said elderly people in these areas are unable to use pathways or walk through the street safely due to haphazard parking and illegal vending. 'We have raised numerous complaints for urgent action. However, no steps have been taken till date. The bye-road has shrunk in width significantly due to the project implemented by Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd,' Faisal said. 'Hundreds of families live in the region. During a crisis, emergency vehicles cannot enter residential areas through these roads because of the illegal parking,' he said. As Onam season approaches, residents fear the situation will worsen. The public events at nearby venues like Nishagandhi auditorium and Sooryakanthi ground attract thousands during festival season. Palayam ward councillor Palayam Rajan said steps will be taken to address the issue. 'We will take up the matter in the next traffic advisory committee meeting. If required, a traffic warden will be deployed to manage parking,' he said.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Heritage structure revamp faces criticism for alteration
T'puram: Despite Kerala Art Heritage Commission declaring the iconic Kanakakunnu Palace a protected heritage zone, state tourism department undertook renovation works that significantly altered the historical monument's architectural identity, prompting widespread criticism and judicial scrutiny. The commission's declaration explicitly prohibited any structural changes or modifications, considering the palace's heritage value. However, under the Travancore Heritage Project, tourism department initiated construction for a new digital museum and undertook extensive illumination works without ensuring the preservation of the palace's original architectural elements. The renovations involved modern interventions such as the use of vitrified tiles in place of the original Italian ones, the application of cement and concrete instead of traditional lime mixtures, repainting original murals in the Durbar Hall with acrylic paints and installing false ceilings, gypsum partitions, and modern electrical fixtures. These additions not only deviate from traditional building techniques but also violate conservation norms under Kerala Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1968. The matter reached the high court, which on June 24 directed state govt to determine whether Kanakakunnu Palace qualifies as an ancient monument under the 1968 Act. Responding to the directive, state govt submitted an affidavit on July 8. In a shocking admission, archaeology department acknowledged that the use of modern materials and unscientific methods compromised the palace's "antiquity and historicity. " It even issued an order on June 24 stating that the structure's original heritage character was irreparably altered. Environmental activist Sanjeev S J, president of Environmental Protection and Research Council and a petitioner in the case, expressed dismay over state of the palace. "Kanakakunnu was last renovated during the reigns of Sree Moolam Thirunal and Sree Chithira Thirunal in 1934 and 1937. Now, vitrified tiles replaced the original Italian ones, walls were painted over with acrylic and large halls were partitioned with gypsum boards," he said. He added that the unscientific changes "almost destroyed the traditional internal structure," making the palace "unrecognizable from the original." Meanwhile, Ajeesh Kumar R, deputy director (planning) of tourism department, defended the ongoing works. Speaking to TOI, he said, "At present, the work of digital museum is ongoing. It will not be affected. The court has only raised concerns over construction in other parts of the palace. We will examine the legalities and submit another affidavit accordingly."
