Almost a year since the completion of construction, the food courts on the bunds of the Valankulam lake in Coimbatore city are likely to get occupants in a month or so.
As part of the Smart Cities project, seven lakes in Coimbatore were developed into recreational public spaces with play parks, food kiosks, and walking tracks. Of these, Valankulam lake features the largest food court facility, located on its northern bund. The four food courts, each with a built-up area of around 4,500 sq. ft. across two floors, are covered with tensile roofs. Parking spaces have been developed to accommodate 100 cars and 300 two-wheelers.
The structures have remained unoccupied and without maintenance though they were developed to generate income for the civic body.
A Corporation official said, “We have held discussions with the private agency that was awarded a 10-year contract in March 2024 for the operation and maintenance of the seven lakes. They are expediting the process of finalising vendors for the food courts at Valankulam. We are also evaluating proposals to develop the space into a gaming zone and for office.”
Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabakaran acknowledged the lack of maintenance across all the lakes, stating, “As per the tender, the contracted company is responsible for complete maintenance after the handover, including awarding food courts to vendors and using revenue to carry out repairs. However, since the food kiosks were not allocated, maintenance was neglected, and there were also complaints about pavers coming off and broken benches. To address this, we released ₹25 lakh to the contractor last week for repair work, and the Valankulam food courts will be opened within two months following our directive.”
Published - February 23, 2025 06:47 pm IST
