KOCHI: If everything goes as per plans, 14 islands in Kadamakudy grama panchayat off Kochi will transform into one of the most sought-after tourism destinations in the state. District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) along with 21 stakeholders, including tourism department, district administration and Kadamakudy grama panchayat, plans to float a Cial-model special purpose vehicle (SPV) for converting 14 islands in Kadamakkudy panchayat to a village tourism hub.As part of the project, the 14 islands will be connected through ferries. There will be walkways connecting these islands as well. “Once a tourist reaches Kadamakudy, they will be provided with a slew of activities or avenues. They can have a village walk, experiencing the life of the villagers, including fishing and farming. They can then take a stroll along the walkways connecting these islands,” said S Vijayakumar, secretary, DTPC, Ernakulam. “There will also be hop-on hop-off ferries connecting the islands,” he said.Water sports or adventure zone, mangrove park, floating restaurants, cottages for tourists to stay, floating handicraft market, coir museum , aquafarms, pokkali farms, among others will be the attractions for the tourists to spent two or three days in Kadamakudy. “Children’s parks, and gymnasiums and jogging tracks will be attached to the parks. There will be an amphitheatre in one of the islands, where traditional art forms and martial arts will be staged. Such events would be after 6.30pm. It will provide a cultural feast for those who come back after a day’s village walk or sporting activities or visit through mangrove park,” Vijayakumar said. “Around 8pm, all the programmes will be over for the day. Then, they can go back to their cottage or houseboat and have dinner there. Tourists can have dinner at the islands as well,” he said.Pedal boats and row boats will be available for tourists to take a cruise through the farms in Kadamakudy.Mangrove trail will be another charm for tourists. The western portion of Chariamthuruth island, one of the islands in Kadamakudy, has one of the healthiest mangrove ecosystem in the district. The stretch is full of mangroves, and tourists can be taken using canoes through the channels and ponds so as to have a close watch of the mangroves. “Floating markets, which sell handicrafts and fish, will pass by t ourists boats and islands. This will help them handpick items of their fascination,” said Mahesh G, consultant, Mater Plan and Infrastructure of the project.“Steps for coordinating the stakeholders for floating an SPV are fast progressing under the leadership of S Sharma, MLA and talks will start in January. It is a comprehensive concept and it won’t work sans a dedicated agency for running it,” Mahesh said. A slew of agencies such as Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and district panchayat will be associated with the project.

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