Thiruvananthapuram’s wait for a war memorial continues

Work yet to begin on 1.5-acre land identified in Akkulam in 2020

The goal of having a war memorial in the State capital for soldiers who fought in the post-Independence era wars and military operations is yet to become a reality, despite land being earmarked two years ago. Originally conceived in the 1990s, the project had languished on the backburner for years. Land-related objections later forced the Sainik Welfare Department, Kerala, to abandon a plan to construct the memorial near the Shanghumughom beach. Although 1.5 acres of government ‘poramboke’ land at Akkulam was identified in 2020 as the alternative site, work on the memorial is yet to begin.

A design for the memorial submitted by the Sainik Welfare Department to the State government is also awaiting clearance, sources said.A senior official of the department told The Hindu that work on developing the land was in progress at Akkulam. The chosen location is close to the tourist village and the headquarters of the Southern Air Command. He attributed the delay to the outbreak of COVID-19 and problems in determining the precise boundaries of the land. The latter problem has been sorted out. ‘‘We have completed the construction of the perimeter fence. Soil tests are under way now,’‘ the official said.The way things stand, department officials expect to have the foundation stone for the project laid only by the next financial year, at the earliest.