Jamal Manakkadan, the newly elected Chairman of Kalamassery Municipality, has given top priority to solving the issues related to the demarcation of the “green zone” under the existing structural plan of the civic association.
The first meeting of the new council, which will be held on January 1, 2026, will discuss measures to overcome obstacles in the construction of new infrastructure projects in the civic association with regard to restrictions resulting from the regulation of green zones according to the standards set by the department of spatial planning.
Mr. Manakkadan said that the restrictions on construction under the Green Zone Ordinance will affect the setting up of buildings on the land proposed for the Judicial City as it falls within the Green Zone. The first meeting of the board would decide to forward the challenge to the state government to relax the existing regulations. If the government did not grant approval, the council would resort to legal remedies after the required consultations, he added.
The chairwoman pointed out that the civic association could not implement various infrastructure projects due to curbs imposed according to the zoning ordinance. “As part of formulating an action plan to find a permanent solution to the problem, we have sought the help of the former Chief Town Planner,” he said.
The newly formed council led by the United Democratic Front (UDF) will come up with plans to address water scarcity in several districts. Mr. Manakkadan said that steps would be taken to expedite the implementation of the water tank project near the Siberia Hostel in the Cochin University of Science and Technology campus, which would be set up with the help of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0. He said the previous UDF-led council had initiated measures to deal with waterlogging. “We are now awaiting the government’s approval for a loan to implement a major culvert expansion project aimed at solving the problem,” he added.
Published – 29 Dec 2025 20:25 IST
