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Clearance for Kochi’s Skycity project
Kerala’s Congress-led UDF Government has cleared Kochi’s ambitious but controversial Skycity project. The former LDF government had refused to clear the project due to apprehensions that it could violate provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone Act and cause serious environmental hazards.
It is alleged that the UDF Government had kept the matter a secret so far though the Industries Department had cleared the project on December 9. Complaints have already come up that no serious environment impact assessment has been carried out and that the project would put a concrete cover to about 46 sq km of backwaters in Kochi.
The Government order according clearance to the Skycity project, being promoted by Yesoraminfra Developers Private Ltd, says that it should comply with provisions of all relevant laws like the CRZ Act and the Kerala Municipal Building Rules and that the promoter should get all required licences and no-objection certificates.
Yesoraminfra will hold 51 percent equity in the project to be implemented by a public limited company in which he Government will have 26 percent share-holding. Eleven percent will be in the form of free equity while 15 percent will be subscribed by the Government and its agencies. The remaining 23 percent equity will be held by the general public, as per the order.
The Skycity project is designed with the primary intention of reducing traffic in Kochi city and for boosting tourism and economic activity of the region. However, several environmentalists and architects have already warned that the project might create more traffic chaos in the city than felt today.
The project envisages creation of flyovers 30 feet above land and backwaters with supermarkets, community halls, entertainment multiplexes, restaurants, showrooms, corporate offices, business centres, IT-ITES and BPO operations, amusement centres, health centres, water sports facility, oceanarium, etc.
The order according clearance to the project says that a portion of the revenue the project generates after completion would be set apart for cleaning the water body and improving the ecology but environmentalists point out that previous experiences have proved the futility of such conditions.
Another condition is that the developers should install own facilities for power, air-conditioning and rainwater harvesting. Yesoraminfra will have to achieve financial closure within two years after all necessary clearances are granted. A single-window mechanism will be constituted to ensure grant of time-bound clearances, the order says.
Kerala’s Congress-led UDF Government has cleared Kochi’s ambitious but controversial Skycity project. The former LDF government had refused to clear the project due to apprehensions that it could violate provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone Act and cause serious environmental hazards.
It is alleged that the UDF Government had kept the matter a secret so far though the Industries Department had cleared the project on December 9. Complaints have already come up that no serious environment impact assessment has been carried out and that the project would put a concrete cover to about 46 sq km of backwaters in Kochi.
The Government order according clearance to the Skycity project, being promoted by Yesoraminfra Developers Private Ltd, says that it should comply with provisions of all relevant laws like the CRZ Act and the Kerala Municipal Building Rules and that the promoter should get all required licences and no-objection certificates.
Yesoraminfra will hold 51 percent equity in the project to be implemented by a public limited company in which he Government will have 26 percent share-holding. Eleven percent will be in the form of free equity while 15 percent will be subscribed by the Government and its agencies. The remaining 23 percent equity will be held by the general public, as per the order.
The Skycity project is designed with the primary intention of reducing traffic in Kochi city and for boosting tourism and economic activity of the region. However, several environmentalists and architects have already warned that the project might create more traffic chaos in the city than felt today.
The project envisages creation of flyovers 30 feet above land and backwaters with supermarkets, community halls, entertainment multiplexes, restaurants, showrooms, corporate offices, business centres, IT-ITES and BPO operations, amusement centres, health centres, water sports facility, oceanarium, etc.
The order according clearance to the project says that a portion of the revenue the project generates after completion would be set apart for cleaning the water body and improving the ecology but environmentalists point out that previous experiences have proved the futility of such conditions.
Another condition is that the developers should install own facilities for power, air-conditioning and rainwater harvesting. Yesoraminfra will have to achieve financial closure within two years after all necessary clearances are granted. A single-window mechanism will be constituted to ensure grant of time-bound clearances, the order says.
