The long-awaited River Tourism Project in Muvattupuzha has got an impetus, with ₹5 crore being allotted for it under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme to develop tourism amenities in and around Triveni Sangamam, the confluence of three rivers in the town.
A hanging bridge, a walkway along the river, and connectivity with two parks in Muvattupuzha town are among the key components of the project. The hanging bridge across the Thodupuzha river would link Dreamland Park with Pettah, while a walkway has been proposed from Pettah to Kacherithazham. A boat jetty will be readied on one side of the park.
In addition, amenities at the park will be renovated, for which the park premises will be divided into two. Resting and accommodation units for tourists will be readied on one side, while a variety of rides, boating and kayaking amenities and a 60-metre-long glass bridge will be readied on the other side. A pair of boat jetties will be built at varying heights from where kayaking, river rafting, and boating can be done, said Muvattupuzha municipal chairman P.P. Eldhose.
The existing walkway will be extended up to Nehru Children’s Park. In the second phase, steps will be taken to retain the park in its natural form. The waterbody is becoming popular as a destination for white-water kayaking.
“Every effort will be made to complete the river tourism project by December, in tandem with the tourist season,” Mr. Eldhose said.
Cautioning against too much of construction activities affecting the riverine eco system, Prof. M.P. Mathai, a resident, said a walkway on the western side of the Thodupuzha river was built after reclaiming the river. “This lessened its width, increasing instances of flooding in the town. The proposed walkway and other construction works must be limited to ‘puramboke’ lands beside the river. A group of vigilant people would closely monitor works for the river tourism project,” he added.
Maintaining that the project will substantially boost the tourism prospects of Muvattupuzha, lawyer-cum-social worker C.N. Prakash said people had for decades been yearning to make optimal use of the potential that Triveni Sangamam offered.
Traffic snarls
He said the ₹5-crore project would not yield the desired results if acute traffic snarls continued to be the norm in Muvattupuzha town. “Leave alone tourists, people from outside the town will think twice before visiting Triveni Sangamam for fear of getting caught in traffic snarls. There is inordinate delay in readying approach roads to Murikallu bridge, on whose commissioning traffic hold-ups will lessen by at least 25%,” he said.
