Destination Committee reviews progress of ‘Alappuzha–Global Water Wonderland’ project

As part of the ‘Alappuzha–A Global Water Wonderland’ project, the second meeting of the Destination Committee was held under the chairmanship of District Collector Alex Varghese on Monday.

MLAs P.P. Chitharanjan and H. Salam were present at the meeting.

As part of implementing the project, a joint inspection will be conducted at select locations on Tuesday by officials from the Kerala State Electricity Board, Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society, Muziris Project, Public Works department, Bharath Sanchar Nigam Limited, Alappuzha municipality and the Tourism department. During the meeting, it was also decided to demolish five unused buildings of the Tourism department and one building of the Alappuzha municipality at Punnamada Finishing Point.

The Centre gave approval for the ‘Alappuzha-A Global Water Wonderland’ project under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme in April this year. The ₹93.17-crore project is expected to give a major boost to tourism in the district. It includes transforming the Alappuzha beach, canals, and backwaters into an “iconic global tourist destination.”

The beachfront development, which envisions an ecologically sensitive upgrade of the area, includes setting up promenade walkways, parking lots, seating spaces, lighting, landscaping, spaces for conducting events, an Indian Coast Guard station, outdoor sports courts, and waste management, among other amenities. A sum of ₹24.25 crore has been set aside for the project.

The ₹37-crore canal-side transformation aims at restoring and revitalising the historic canals of Alappuzha town, “reintroducing them as thriving public spaces while respecting their ecological and cultural significance.”

Planned works include walkways, seating, lighting, plazas, boat docks, cafes and boat jetty development.

An international cruise terminal with parking, marina, experience centre, information kiosks, water adventure zone, restaurant, and toilets will come up at Punnamada Finishing Point at a cost of ₹ 8.5 crore.

A sum of ₹4 crore has been earmarked for ‘soft intervention,’ which includes cultural and heritage integration, community engagement, environmental sustainability, digital and smart tourism initiatives, training programmes, first aid and waste management.

The project is expected to be completed by March 31, 2026.