Tag: Kerala

The Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will lay the foundation for India’s largest Dry Dock at Cochin Shipyard in Kerala tomorrow. The Dry Dock will give an impetus to “Make in India” initiative under Sagarmala and raise India’s share in global shipbuilding to 2 percent. India currently occupies 0.66 per cent share in global shipbuilding market. The commercial ship building industry in India is worth Rs. 3,200 crore and focuses primarily on small-medium sized offshore vessels and cargo/bulk carriers. At present, Cochin ... Read more

After the devastating floods in the second week of August, climate experts have predicted severe summer and drought ahead. To combat this, the state government is planning to bring mini water mist fire tenders to efficiently combat forest fire during the coming summer. In 2016, the state received 165 satellite-based fire-alerts from the Forest Fire Alert System, a national database maintained by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun. During the 2009-10 period, the state lost over 5,000 hectares of pristine forest land to fire. In February 2017, a raging forest fire reduced 100 hectares of grassland and verdant forest to ashes. There ... Read more

Climbing the Chembra peak in Wayanad is every traveller’s dream. But, the district authorities have closed in January due to drought in the hills. After nine long months, the peak is now open for tourists. The tourism department had reconstructed the road from Meppadi to Chembra Peak spending Rs 1.8 crore. But, a portion of the road was washed away during the monsoon and around 50 metres had to be rebuilt, the District Tourism Promotion Council said in a press release. Though the peak is now open for tourists, the forest department, the custodian of the peak, has decided to restrict the number ... Read more

Rs 7 crore project to restore the beauty of Shankhumukham beach in Thiruvananthapuram, which was totally destructed during the recent monsoon showers.  The new project includes protecting the coastline constructing protection walls thereby preventing damaging the coastline in the future. The project, developed by the Project Wing of Irrigation Design and Research Board under the Irrigation department, was submitted to the state government. Though it was planned as a Rs 4 crore project initially, the new report is designed to withstand possible future resistance from the destructive waves. As part of the project, there will be a 400 metre long ... Read more

Tourism Minister for State (I/C), Govt. of India, K J Alphons has sanctioned Rs 3 lakh for the Navaratri celebrations in Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram, which is slated to be held on October 21. The amount will be handed over to the Travancore Navaratri Utsava Trust. “The Navratri celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram carries a rich legacy of almost 200 years. It is necessary to protect Kerala’s great historical heritage,” said the minister. The Navaratri festival is celebrated in Travancore from AD 972 onwards. This is the first time that the celebration is receiving financial aid from the central government. The Navarathri festival ... Read more

കേരളത്തിലെ അണക്കെട്ടുകളുടെയും ബാരേജുകളുടെയും പ്രവര്‍ത്തനം പഠിക്കാന്‍ നിയോഗിക്കപ്പെട്ട കമ്മിറ്റി മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി പിണറായി വിജയന് റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട് സമര്‍പ്പിച്ചു. പ്രളയത്തെ തുടര്‍ന്നാണ് ഡാമുകളുടെ പ്രവര്‍ത്തനം പഠിക്കാന്‍ അന്താരാഷ്ട്ര ഡാം സുരക്ഷാ വിദഗ്ധന്‍ ഡോ. ബാലു അയ്യര്‍, കെ.എ. ജോഷി (ചീഫ് എഞ്ചിനീയര്‍, ജലസേചനം) ബിബിന്‍ ജോസഫ് (ചീഫ് എഞ്ചിനീയര്‍, ഡാം സേഫ്റ്റി, കെ.എസ്.ഇ.ബി) എന്നിവര്‍ അംഗങ്ങളായ കമ്മിറ്റിയെ സര്‍ക്കാര്‍ നിയോഗിച്ചത്. മുല്ലപ്പെരിയാര്‍ ഒഴികെയുളള ഡാമുകളുടെയും ബാരേജുകളുടെയും പ്രവര്‍ത്തനങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ച് പഠനം നടത്തിയപ്പോള്‍ കേരളത്തിലെ ഡാമുകളും ബാരേജുകളും സുരക്ഷിതമാണെന്ന് കമ്മിറ്റി വിലയിരുത്തി. ഡാമുകളുടെയും ബാരേജുകളുടെയും നിലവിലുള്ള സ്പില്‍വേകള്‍ക്ക് ഇയിടെയുണ്ടായ പ്രളയജലത്തെ കടത്തിവിടാനുള്ള ശേഷിയുണ്ടായിരുന്നുവെന്ന് കമ്മിറ്റി ചൂണ്ടിക്കാട്ടി. പെരിങ്ങല്‍ക്കുത്ത് റിസര്‍വോയര്‍ മാത്രമാണ് കവിഞ്ഞൊഴുകിയത്. ഇത് സംബന്ധിച്ച് കൂടുതല്‍ പഠനം ആവശ്യമാണ്. എല്ലാ ഡാമുകളുടെയും പരമാവധി ജലനിരപ്പ് നിര്‍ണ്ണയിക്കുന്നത് സംബന്ധിച്ച് ഹൈഡ്രോളജി പഠനം നടത്തേണ്ടതാണ്. അതോടൊപ്പം എല്ലാ പ്രധാന ഡാമുകളുടെയും പരമാവധി സംഭരണശേഷിയില്‍ (ഫുള്‍ റിസര്‍വോയര്‍ ലവല്‍) ജലം സംഭരിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ ഉണ്ടാകാനിടയുളള പ്രശ്നങ്ങള്‍ സംബന്ധിച്ച് പ്രത്യേക പഠനങ്ങള്‍ ആവശ്യമാണ്. ഡാമിന്‍റെ ... Read more

The picturesque Wayanad is all set to be more beautiful, with the hill station going to be made waste-free soon. The district administration, in association with three-tier local administrative bodies, is planning to make the destination waste-free. An action plan has been prepared by three-tier local bodies to declare Wayanad a complete waste-free district from January 1. The action plan suggests conducting ward-level waste-free declaration on October 21, followed by Grama panchayat-level and district-level waste-free declarations on November 14 and December 31 respectively. A coordination committee has been appointed to implement the project, with grama panchayat association president as the chairman of the ... Read more

ടൂറിസം സീസണിനു തുടക്കമിട്ട് സീസണിലെ ആദ്യ ആഡംബര യാത്രാകപ്പല്‍ ബൌദിക്കാ അടുത്തയാഴ്ച്ച കേരള തീരത്തെത്തും. അഞ്ഞൂറോളം സഞ്ചാരികളുമായാണ് കപ്പലിന്‍റെ വരവ്. 15നു കൊച്ചിയിലെത്തുന്ന കപ്പല്‍ 16നു രാവിലെ എട്ടു മണിയോടെ വിഴിഞ്ഞം തീരത്തെത്തും. പുറം കടലില്‍ നങ്കൂരമിടുന്ന കപ്പലില്‍ നിന്ന് ചെറു ബോട്ടുകളില്‍ വിഴിഞ്ഞം പഴയ വാര്‍ഫില്‍ എത്തിക്കുന്ന സഞ്ചാരികളെ കേരളത്തനിമയോടെ സ്വീകരിക്കും.തുടര്‍ന്ന് ഇവര്‍ കാഴ്ചകള്‍ കാണാനായി പോകും.വൈകിട്ട് കപ്പല്‍ കൊളംബോയ്ക്ക് തിരിക്കും. വലുപ്പത്തില്‍ മുമ്പനായ ഒഴുകുന്ന ഈ കൊട്ടാരം കേരളത്തില്‍ എത്തുന്നത്‌ ഇതാദ്യം

In the second week of September Union Minister K J Alphons said that rupee depreciation was good for the country’s tourism sector, and, his words seem to be true, looking at the growth of inbound tourism. The strengthening dollar and Euro has made India an attractive destination for foreign tourists. Though the outbound tourism has taken a hit, the tourism industry has high hopes regarding the inbound tourists. Alphons has said earlier last month that the central government is taking all measures to double the tourist inflow in India in next three years. Apart from foreign travellers, there’s a remarkable rise in ... Read more

The sun shines over the God’s Own Country, not knowing about the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) weather warning issued across the state sighting chances of incessant rains. However, looking at the clear sky, the IMD withdrew red alert for rains and landslides across Kerala, which they had issued earlier this week. The IMD had predicted excessive rainfall across Kerala, followed by which red alert have been issued in Palakkad, Thrissur and Idukki districts of Kerala. However, with the IMD withdrawing the warning, the red alerts issued in these districts were also withdrawn. The district administration has banned all tourism-related activities and imposed ... Read more

The Idukki district administration in Kerala has lifted the ban on Munnar, and Thekkady, including other tourist destinations. Effective from October 9 (Tuesday), travellers can access any of the tourist destinations including the Neelakurinji gardens. Earlier, the district administration has banned tourism and late night travel in the district starting October 5, in view of the heavy to very heavy rain forecast in Kerala and Lakshadweep in the next two-three days. A red alert has also been issued in three districts of Idukki, Thrissur and Palakkad on Thursday following an IMD forecast of heavy to very heavy rains in the ... Read more

Gopinath Parayil and Lakshmi at the Chekkutty stall Chekkutty dolls which became a symbol of survival and hope in flood ravaged Kerala, has conquered the hearts of buyers, sellers, and all the other visitors at the Kerala Travel Mart held in Samudrika Convention Centre in Wellington Island.  Chekkutty was an initiative started to support Chendamangalam weavers who lost their stocks in the flood in August. Ernakulam district Collector Safirulla IAS, Lakshmi Menon and Gopinath Parayil at Chekkutty stall in KTM wearing Chekkutty as a mascot of resilience and hope The dolls are made from handloom sarees weaved for Onam sales, ... Read more

Kerala’s tourism warrants renewed approach that promotes customised service as well as night life besides technology and packages that are updated with times so as to win back young visitors to the state, experts said today. Digital media and even artificial intelligence are proving to be key requirements for tourism promotion to get newer audiences across the globe and God’s Own Country can’t be an exception, speakers told a seminar at the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) in Kochi. All the same, “over-tourism” should not disturb the normal routine of the hosts even as Kerala should explore the scope of non-conventional ... Read more

A survey will be conducted seeking the possibility of offering job opportunities through tourism for people in the state’s flood-hit areas even as the August calamity has not damaged the infrastructure facilities in the sector, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said on Friday. “Students of Kerala Institute Tourism and Travel Studies(KITTS) will conduct the survey among the natives in this regard. It will help bring more people to the tourism sector,” he said at the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) in Kochi. “The government conducted a “Readiness Survey” from September 1 to know if we are ready for receiving tourists. The study’s ... Read more

Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the state government is planning to introduce a law to prevent encroachments and illegal constructions in ecologically sensitive tourist destinations. “The government is focused on promoting tourism without exploiting nature,” he said addressing the media after visiting the Kerala Travel Mart in Kochi. “When Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was the Tourism Minister, the state government introduced a Bill preventing unscientific construction and encroachment in ecologically sensitive tourist places. However, the Bill could not become law. But Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the government have accorded due importance to the environment while promoting tourism,” he said. The ... Read more