Jamal Manakkadan, the newly elected chairperson of Kalamassery municipality, has accorded top priority to resolving issues related to the ‘green zone’ demarcation under the existing structural plan of the civic body.
The first meeting of the new council, to be held on January 1, 2026, will discuss measures to overcome hurdles in the construction of new infrastructure projects in the civic body in view of the restrictions imposed under green zone regulations, as per norms prescribed by the Department of Town Planning.
Mr. Manakkadan said that the restrictions on construction under the green zone regulation would impact the setting up of buildings on the land proposed for the judicial city, as it falls within the green zone. The first council meeting would decide on forwarding an appeal to the State government seeking relaxations in the existing regulations. If the government did not grant approval, the council would take legal recourse after holding the required consultations, he added.
The chairperson pointed out that the civic body had not been able to implement various infrastructure projects due to the curbs imposed under the zoning regulations. “We have sought the help of retired chief town planners as part of formulating an action plan to find a permanent solution to the issue,” he said.
The newly formed council led by the United Democratic Front (UDF) will come up with plans to address water scarcity in several wards. Mr. Manakkadan said that steps would be taken to speed up the implementation of a water tank project near the Siberia hostel on the Cochin University of Science and Technology campus, to be set up with assistance under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 scheme. He said the previous UDF-ruled council had initiated measures to address waterlogging. “We are now awaiting government approval for a loan to carry out a major project to widen culverts aimed at resolving the issue,” he added.
Published – December 29, 2025 08:25 pm IST
