Marine Drive walkway gets a makeover as visitors trickle in

GCDA to expand capacity of STP to end odour on the waterfront

Visitors have begun trickling in to the Marine Drive walkway with the ₹7.85-crore renovation works of the 2.20-km facility nearing completion and the three iconic bridges on the stretch being given a fresh coat of paint. The renovated walkway’s commissioning has been listed under the 100-days’ programme of the State government. Formal inauguration of the High Court-Goshree Bridge stretch, where works got over in February, was cancelled due to model code of conduct for the Assembly poll taking effect. Almost all renovation works in the corridor are over, but for a small portion near the area where a Water Metro jetty has been envisaged, said Jafar Malik, the CEO of Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML). A team led by V. Salim, Chairman of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), the agency which owns the walkway, would visit the stretch on Wednesday to get a first-hand account of the works done and to ready a plan to ensure its cleanliness and safety. With the police having constraints in deploying personnel round the clock, private security guards are likely to be posted, including to secure the entry points.