The much delayed plan to develop the Manaveeyam Veedhi, the cultural corridor of the city, as a scientifically designed cultural space seems to be finally taking off.
In a meeting held at the city Corporation office on Friday, it was decided to prepare the Detailed Project Report immediately and get it approved before the end of this month.
“We had a meeting in which members of both the Manaveeyam Street Collective and the Manaveeyam Theruvidam Street Library participated. Both the groups had earlier put forward several suggestions on how the space has to be developed. In the final plan, we have incorporated suggestions from both sides. We want to get this approved at the earliest, so that the work can begin,” says city Corporation Mayor V.K. Prashanth.
The Manaveeyam Veedhi development will be as part of the Smart City project, with an amount of ₹3 crore being set aside for the purpose. The footpath on both sides of the road will be dismantled to accommodate all the components that will form part of the plan. As of now, the plan includes a performance space, senior citizens’ corner, street library and reading corner, toilet facilities, children’s corner, exhibition space, green room and a space for storage of sound and stage equipment. The middle section will have roofing for a short length, to be used for screening purposes.
One of the long-standing issues of debates has been on whether the road needs to be shut for traffic, and be used only for cultural activities.
Though the cultural groups did put forward this idea again in the meeting on Friday, the civic body did not agree, due to the practical difficulties. The existing system of blocking the traffic only when cultural events happen at the corridor will be maintained.
“If we continue out objection regarding traffic, the project would never take off. We have suggested that parking be banned on the stretch. We hope they will consider it once the work is completed. As of now, all the elements we suggested have been incorporated, although the detailed plans are yet to be made,” says D.Raghoothaman of the Manaveeyam Street Collective.
In the State Budget last year, the Government has announced that at least one street in each district will be turned into a Manaveeyam Veedhi, modelled on the original one here in the city. Two such streets have already become active – one in Kollam and another in Kondotty.