GIDA to develop three islands

KOCHI: Keeping in mind the ambience and potential of the three islands located in the Kochi backwaters, the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) has plans to develop them into modern cities.The three islands- Koramkottai, Pullekadu and Thanthonnithuruthu have been selected owing to their proximity to the city. The population of the islands is less compared to the rest of the islands in Ernakulam.GIDA Secretary and District Collector Sheik Pareeth said: “The three islands will get a boost through the plan since the islands are completely isolated from the mainland. Once GIDA’s plans work out, the people of the islands will have access to better water facility, road connectivity, electricity and job opportunities. It will in turn benefit Kochi as a whole.”Villa projects, convention centres, parks etc are all part of GIDA’s plan. The feasibility study submitted by KITCO states that there was a huge scope of development for the three islands, said GIDA officials. “Surveys have shown that the local people are interested in the development of their islands which have been neglected for long,” Sheik Pareeth added.GIDA Town planner Shaji said: “We are using a new scheme for the development of the islands. The land reconstitution scheme, which has been introduced of late has only been tried out in places like Thrissur. The scheme is more feasible for us and the land owners of the island as they will receive compensatory benefits such as water, road connectivity etc.”  According to GIDA officials, the islands have a huge potential on the tourism front. “There is a lot of potential for tourism in the three islands. It has a lot of natural ambience that can be developed,” Sheik Pareeth said. Thanthonnithuruthu has an area of at least 110 acres. Once the island is connected by bridges, the inflow of traffic to the city will rise manifold. Buildings, villas and IT firms will create large opportunities to the island community who otherwise have to work as construction workers or fish sellers. Once the island is developed, there are chances that the land there would be one of the most sought after areas.The Korram Kottai islands, located on the stretch of land between the High Court and the Bolghatty Island, is a 160-acre island where  60 fishermen families are living. Denny, a land owner, said: “The Korram Kottai islands with their natural ambience has a huge potential. At present, the people there are an isolated lot. “Similar is the case of the Pullekadu islands, the least famous of the three. Located between Vypeen and Vallarpadom, an island hardly known to most Kochiites, also has the potential to develop.