The maritime gateway of the past and one of the busiest ports of the present, Kochi is all set to shift to the next knot as a leisure boating hub of South Asia.
Country’s first marina to come up in the port city
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The maritime gateway of the past and one of the busiest ports of the present, Kochi is all set to shift to the next knot as a leisure boating hub of South Asia. A 50-berth marina will come up on five acres in an island off Kochi.
Chief minister VS Achuthanandan, who inaugurated the project in Kochi on Saturday, said that the marina would elevate Kochi to the global league of leisure boating destinations. “Sailors and tourists from across would be docking at Kochi. They would boost the tourism industry in Kerala,” he said.
With the Rs 8.25-crore marina being operational, Kochi is destined to be a natural hub connecting Sydney and Singapore to Dubai and European ports, estimate industry sources. The project is implemented by Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).
“We will complete the project in two phases. The first phase, with 30 berths, will be ready in 18 months. In two years, the project will be in full steam, accommodating 50 yachts at a time,” KTDC chairman Cherian Philip said. The Union government has sanctioned Rs4 crore for the project.
The eco-friendly marina will have a wet dock and machines for carrying out repair works. It will have rooms and recreational facilities. It will have two luxury cruisers and five jet skis. KTDC will be helped by the state-owned Kerala Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation (KITCO) in implementing the project.
The project has been in the pipeline for long with the government seeking private participation for setting up a marina on the land reclaimed by the Cochin Port Trust. Though the government had found a partner in Malaysia’s Trans Resources Corporation earlier, the project failed to kick off because the land was not ready.
The marina will encourage foreign cruise liners and rich Indians who own a boat to come to Kochi. Several luxury yachts call at the Kochi port every year en route from the Gulf to the Far East despite poor berthing facilities.
Kochi has one of the best natural ports in Asia and Dubai Port World is building an international container transshipment terminal here.
s_don@dnaindia.net
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