Report of the Centre-State Team for Integrated Development of Cochin and the Adjoining Islands
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FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY REPORT OF THE CENTRE-STATE TEAM FOR INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF COCHIN AND THE ADJOINING ISLANDS GOVERNMENT OF IMDIA PLANNING COMMISSION. MARCH, 1988 PREFACE The Prime Minister of India Shn Rajiv Gandhi visited Cochin on January 17 1987 and had occasion to appreciate the multifarious problems faced by the people living in the Cochin urban region The Centre State Team for Integrated development of Cochin and the adjoining islands was constituted to have a closer look at the situation The fast pace of urban growth has thrown up intricate problems socio-economic and environmental in several centres of urban growth in the country The undeterred urbanward movement of econdmic forces continues to make these problems more and more intense with the passage of time Even so the situation in Cochin region stands on a singular footing The vast expanse of backwaters within the vicinity of the region the existence of thirty two small and, big islands close to the urban area a large number of chemical and processing industries defiling the environment and a substantial concentration of central and state organisations within a small territonal compass pointing to the need for Centre State coordination of a high order in the interest of even urban growth make the Cochin situation unique The Team has endeavoured to be objective in its assessment of the need for institutional and infrastructural development in different sectors of urban growth while adopting an approach of integration which its terms of reference specifically enjoined on it Its projections generally extend upto the end of the Eighth Plan except where technical or planning compulsions suggested a projection beyond this period The Team had Shn Xavier Arakal as its Chairman who apart from being Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India hails from the area and possesses valuable experience of an academic and of working in public field in Cochin His presence imparted the much needed local perspective so necessary in an essay of the present type The Team is deeply indebted to Shn S Narayanaswamy Chief Secretary Govt of Kerala and Shri V Ramachandran his predecessor in office for the unstinted cooperation and guidance they offered to the Team It places on record its gratitude to all the departmental Secretanes and Heads of Deptts, of Govt of Kerala the Central Ministnes and the chief executives of the Govt of India organisations pnvate bodies and the public men of Kerala who volunteered in providing valuable views and information to the Team The Team considers it important to mention here the substantial contribution made by Shri Elias George Commissioner of Cochin Corporation Smt Aruna Sundararajan Member Secretary Greater Cochin Development Authority and Shn Philipose Thomas Secretary Local Administration Govt of Kerala in analysing the m ultitude o f data and views received by the Team in a correct perspective and in rendering valuable assistance to the undersigned in formulating and preparing this Report PREMAN AN DA TRIPATHY Adviser (State Plans) Planning Commission & Member Convenor of the Centre State Team CONTENTS Chapter Page One Constitution of the Centre State Team 1 Two Broad aspects of strategy 4 Three Development of Cochin area—A retrospect 7 Four Water Supply 10 Five Sanitation 24 Six Housing 34 Seven Transport (a) Road Transport 43 (b) Inland Water Transport 60 (c) Railways 69 (d) Air Port 72 Eight Communication 74 Nine Power 78 Ten Industry 85 Eleven Trade & Commerce 90 Twelve Manne Resources 97 Thirteen Tourism and Recreation 10C Fourteen Land CJse 104 Fifteen Environm ent 109 Sixteen Development of Islands adjoining Cochin ' 17 Seventeen Management of Integrated Development by QCDA I23 Eighteen Important aspects needing attention of State 129 Govt and Govt of India Ninteen Centre State Coordination of integrated 132 development Twenty Financial implications of Integrated development 1 34 in Cochin area Twenty one Summary of important recommendations of the 142 Centre State Team Maps Page Appendices Appendix 1 Terms of reference («) Appendix II List of Members of the Centre State Team (iv) Appendix 111 Minutes of the first meeting of the Team held on (vi) 29th July 1987 Appendix IV Minutes of discussion with Chief Secretary Kerala (ix) on 7th Dec 1987 Appendix V Minutes of the second meeting of the (xi) Team held on 30 Dec 1987 Appendix VI Minutes of the third and final meeting of the Team ixiv) held on 21 st March 1988 CHAPTER ONE CONSTITUTION OF THE CENTRE STATE TEAM ON INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF COCHIN AND THE ADJOINING ISLANDS 1.1 Cochin is emerging as a metropolitan area having im mense potential for growth Greater Cochin is among the urban areas in the country recording rapid expansion during the decade preceding 1981 With amenities failing to catch up with the increase in population and fast industrial expansion several socio economic and developmental problems have come to the fore demanding the urgent attention of policy makers planners and administrators for a solution 1.2 The multifarious problems of Cochin have been further aggravated by the existence of as manyas thirty two islands small and big which adjoin the main land and which constitute an integral part of the complex socioeconomic fabric that is Cochin Truly speaking these islands are as good as Cochin & part of the main land the farthest of them being only 2 3 km away from the main adjoining land A large number of the islands are only islands in name being separate from the islands main land by varying width of backwaters 1.3 The problems of Cochin and its adjoining islands were brought to the notice of the Prime Minister during his visit to the State o f Kerala in January 1987 In a meeting held on 17th January PM’s meet ^ at ^oc^m State Govt pleaded with the Pnme Minister for an exclusive inq of consideration of the problems of the city and the adjoining islands which occupied a Jan 1987 strategic location on the west coast of the country in a setting of backwaters and serene sea with tremendous promise for development In the discussion that ensued a decision was taken to appoint a joint Centre State Team to work out projects for the integrated development o f the Cochin area 1.4 Accordingly in consultation with the State Govt of Kerala a Centre State Team for Integrated Development of Cochin and the adjoining Islands was set up by the Planning Commission in Planning Commission s Order No PC (P) 9/25/87 KRLVol II dated 9th June 1987 (reproduced in Appendix 1) with Shri Xavier Arakal Chairman Inland Waterways Authority of India as its Chairman and Shri Premananda Tripathy Adviser (State Plan) Planning Commission as its Member Convenor Representatives o f Central Ministries o f Surface Transport Defence (Naval Rase) Railways Environment Commerce (Cochin Export Processing Zone) were taken in as members Later on representatives ofMmistries of Tourism and Cliban Development of Govt of India were also included The State level representation included Secietanes of Kerala State Govt in the Departments of Town Planning (Local Administration), Public Works, Transport arid F-nvironment and District Collector frnakulam The Chairman Cochin PortTiust (CPT), Manaqmg Director, Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore ltd (FACT) Chairman, Gieater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) represented the organisations working in tins aiea as members on the Team A list of the members of the Team is enclosed as Appendix II I 1.5 The terms of reference of the Team were quite comprehensive and were as follows : (0 To identify programmes for integrated development of Cochin area keeping in Term s o f view the industrial, commercial and strategic installations in the area in a setting reference of islands and backwaters. o f the To identify the need for reclamation of land deepening of waterways and Centre- •(«) construction of road links to the islands in the interest of integrated development State Team of the area; (iii) To advise on the implementation strategy keeping in view environmental and ecological parameters; (iv) To advise on ways to integrate financial resources of both Central organisations operating in Cochin area and State, available for the development and suggest ways to meet shortfalls, if any; (v) To advise the manner in which the activities of both Central and State agencies in this area can be coordinated within the framework of the suggested developmental activities and; (vi) To make recommendations on any matter ancilliary and related to the above purpose. In brief, the terms of reference included, identification of programmes relevant for integrated development of the Cochin area in its unique setting of islands and backwaters and expected the Team to advise on the im plementation strategy keeping in view environmental and ecological parameters. The financial input for development of the Cochin area has already been forthcoming not only from State/municipal sources but also from several organisations like Cochin Port Trust, FACT, A irport, Railways, Naval Establishments, CEPZ, to name the most im portant ones, which are GOI organisastions. As such, the Team was asked to advise on ways to integrate financial resources flowing from all these different sources Further, the Team was to suggest ways to meet shortfalls in financial resourcxes, if any, and also advise on the manner in which the activities of both Central and State agencies in the area could be coordinated within the framework of the developmental strategy suggested by it. 1.6 The first meeting of the Team was held on 29th June, 1987, at the State Guest House, Cochin. This meeting was also attended by the Chief Secretary, Govt, of Kerala, besides several State Govt, representatives In this meeting the Team decided to set up a Core Committee with Chairman, GCDA.