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GCDA headquarters at Kadavanthra | |
Company type | Development corporation |
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Founded | 1976[1] |
Headquarters | Kadavanthra, , India |
Area served | Kochi, Kerala |
Key people | K. Chandran Pillai (Chairman) |
Website | www |
Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) is the statutory body overseeing the development of the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. Headquartered at Kadavanthra, GCDA oversees the development of the major part of Greater Cochin area which consists of the Kochi Municipal Corporation, [2] surrounding municipalities (Thrippunithura, Thrikkakara, Aluva, Kalamassery, Maradu, Eloor, North Paravur, Angamaly and Perumbavoor) and 21 [2] intervening panchayats (Chellanam, Kumbalangi, Cheranelloor, Varappuzha, Chennamangalam, Kadamakkudy, Kadungalloor, Alengad, Chengamanad, Nedumbassery, ezhikkara, Chottanikkara, Choornikkara, Edathala, Kumbalam, Kottuvally and others) covering an area of 632 km2. [2]
As of 2001, the area has a population of more than 2.5 million. [3] GCDA is one of the two development authorities in Kochi, the other being GIDA which oversees development in the islands towards west of the Kochi mainland, and north of the harbour, covering a total area of 100 km2.
The state government and the GCDA have plans to include Angamaly , Perumbavoor , Piravom and Kolenchery in Ernakulam district; Mala and Kodungallur in Thrissur district; Thalayolaparambu and Vaikom in Kottayam ; and Cherthala in Alappuzha district within the Kochi metropolitan limits. The newly formed metropolis would be put under the charge of a new authority called Kochi Metropolitan Regional Development Authority .
GCDA was the first exclusive agency formed for the development of any urban area in the state of Kerala. This led to the formation of development authorities for other cities in the state. The first of these were TRIDA – the Trivandrum Development Authority. Later development authorities were formed for Kozhikode and Thrissur as well.
The Marine Drive is one of the most significant projects that GCDA has ever undertaken. The whole of the present Kochi Marine Drive (part of the Kochi Lake, west of the Shanmugham Road to the present Walkway) was claimed from the Kochi Lake in the 1980s. This land underwent several beautification initiatives, especially with the construction of the iconic Rainbow Bridge in 1992. This land later became home for a line of high-rises namely, the GateWay Residency Hotel, the Bay Pride Mall, Kerala Trade Centre etc. A common code for construction is enforced in this stretch of land which includes that the building could be of a maximum 13 storeys, the eastern and western boundaries of the buildings should coincide etc. The sub projects of the Kochi Marine Drive include:
The largest stadium in Kerala with a seating capacity of 75000, and costed ₹ 75 Crore. This is one of the largest projects of the GCDA that was completed ahead of time and well within the budget. The stadium was constructed in 515 days under the leadership of V.J.Thomas IPS, Ex-Chairman, Greater Cochin Development Authority.
The first B.O.T. project in Kerala, the Mattancherry Bridge was coordinated by GCDA. In addition, Kathrikadavu Railway Overbridge and Chilavannur Bund road bridge in Chilavannur puzha have been constructed by GCDA. [4]
In road transport sector, apart from the roads developed as part of area development schemes, in Panampilly Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Aluva, Rameswaram, and Parur, G.C.D.A has recently completed the 3.2-km long and 22-m wide Kaloor-Kadavanthra road, 15-m wide Subhash Chandra Bose Road, Chilavannur Bund Road (partially completed) and K.P. Vallon Road widening first phase, Panampilly Nagar Anamthuruthy road (partially completed) were taken up by G.C.D.A. Land has been made available to the corporation for the construction of 2-km long & 22-m wide Stadium Link Road, by GCDA by negotiation with the land owners. G.C.D.A. had taken a major role in the implementation of the 22-meter wide & 3 km long Sahodaran Ayyappan Road by getting land surrendered free of cost with the cooperation of Cochin Corporation.
Widening of Kaloor Palarivattom Road was taken up by State P.W.D. with the co-operation of GCDA in getting the land surrendered free of cost for road widening.
To decongest the south Railway Overbridge and to reduce traffic on M.G. Road and Chittoor road the eastern entry to the South Railway station was developed by GCDA. Greater Cochin Development Authority has thus developed a total of about 75 km. of road length of varying widths ranging from 7m to 36m with in the Greater Cochin Region.
GCDA have developed many planned housing colonies such as Panampilly Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Kasthurba Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Indira Nagar and Subash Nagar
The Indian railways was hesitant to run and use the GCDA owned building at Platform 6 at Ernakulam junction railway station. it is believed to be the reason behind the delay of employing the platform 6 for services. Also the parking area was run by GCDA and the fare differed with the parking area at platform 1.
Kochi, also known by its former name Cochin, is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. The city is also commonly referred to as Ernakulam. As of 2011, the Kochi Municipal Corporation had a population of 677,381 over an area of 94.88 km2, and the larger Kochi urban agglomeration had over 2.1 million inhabitants within an area of 440 km2, making it the largest and the most populous metropolitan area in Kerala. Kochi city is also part of the Greater Cochin development region and is classified as a Tier-II city by the Government of India. The civic body that governs the city is the Kochi Municipal Corporation, which was constituted in the year 1967, and the statutory bodies that oversee its development are the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA).
Ernakulam is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, and takes its name from the eponymous city division in Kochi. It is situated in the central part of the state, spans an area of about 2,924 square kilometres (1,129 sq mi), and is home to over 9% of Kerala's population. Its headquarters are located at Kakkanad. The district includes Kochi, also known as the commercial capital of Kerala, which is famous for its ancient churches, Hindu temples, synagogues and mosques. The district includes the largest metropolitan region of the state: Greater Cochin. Ernakulam district yields the highest revenue and the largest number of industries in the state. Ernakulam is the third most populous district in Kerala, after Malappuram and Thiruvananthapuram. The district also hosts the highest number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala state.
Perumbavoor is a place located at the bank of Periyar in Ernakulam District in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area. It lies in the northeastern tip of the Greater Cochin area and is also the headquarters of Kunnathunad Taluk. Perumbavoor is famed in the state for wood industries and small-scale industries. Ernakulam lies 30 km southwest of Perumbavoor. The town lies between Angamaly and Muvattupuzha on the Main Central Road (MC), which connects Thiruvananthapuram to Angamaly through the old Travancore part of Kerala.
Edappally is a ward of Kochi, Kerala. The name is also used to refer to adjacent wards of Kalamassery and Thrikkakkara municipalities. Edappally is a major commercial centre as well as a prominent residential region. Edappally junction is one of the busiest junctions in the city.
Marine Drive, also known as APJ Abdul Kalam Marg, is a famous promenade in Kochi, India. It is built facing the backwaters, and is a popular hangout for the local populace. Despite its name, no vehicles are allowed on the walkway. Marine Drive is also an economically thriving part of the city of Kochi. With several shopping malls it is as an important centre of shopping activity in Kochi. Major fast food joints, including Marrybrown, DiMark, Coffee Bar are present along the walkway.
Ernakulam is the central business district of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is the namesake of Ernakulam district. The eastern part of Kochi city is mainly known as Ernakulam, while the western part of it after the Venduruthy Bridge is called as Western Kochi. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation and the Cochin Shipyard are situated in Ernakulam. It is also the most urbanized area in the city of Kochi.
Kochi is a major port city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city is widely known as the commercial or economic capital of the state of Kerala.
Kadavanthra is a ward in downtown Kochi, Kerala. It is bounded by the S.A Road to the east and the Giri Nagar canal in the west. Kadavanthra is a major commercial centre of Kochi, and a prime residential area. In recent years, the ward has undergone rapid development to become one of Kochi's highest-valued regions.
Pachalam is a region in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. Goshree bridge road at Marine Drive side ends at Pachalam. Pachalam can also be reached by Chittoor Road. Mulavukad island is on its west, Vaduthala and Chittoor island is on its north, Elamakkara at north east, Mamagalam and Palarivattom is on its east, Kaloor on southeast. It is also located between Marine Drive, Kaloor and Edapally acting as a connecting link between the most important places in Kochi. One of the main attractions near Pachalam is the famous Queen's Walkway, that connects Pachalam to the Gosree bridge Road and to Marine Drive. Although the roads are very narrow, the traffic has increased, as roads inside Pachalam give a much needed respite to motorists who were looking an alternative to escape from the hardships of motoring through Banerjee Road especially during this phase of Kochi Metro construction.
Elamkulam is a ward of Kochi, Kerala. Elamkulam is a part of the Kadavanthra pincode and Kadavanthra Janamythri Police station. Elamkulam is well facilitated with Metro railway station which works as an extension counter to Kadavanthra metro station to cater to passengers who want to shop at branded outlets like MAX,Trends etc. Elamkulam metro station also privileges direct entry to Radisson Blu Kochi.
Kaloor is a downtown region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is two kilometres (1.2 mi) from the Ernakulam North Railway Station. Kaloor Junction is also the name of a major intersection in this part of the city, intersecting the two major arteries of downtown Kochi, namely Banerji Road and the Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road. The nearest major intersections are Palarivattom to the east and Lissie Junction to the west.
Sahodaran Ayyappan Road, popularly known as S.A Road is one of the most important and the second main arterial road of CBD Kochi city ; it is supposed to be the busiest and most congested road in the city of Kochi, which run in east-west direction and the shortest road connecting the two main iconic junctions in the city. The road connects the MG Road in west with Vyttila Junction & Hub in east and continues further as Tripunithura Road that connects to Tripunithura, hence termed as the back bone road of Kochi.
This is a list of major areas and neighbourhoods in the city of Kochi by region. The eastern part of Kochi is mainly known as Ernakulam, while the western part of the city after the Venduruthy Bridge is called as Western Kochi.
Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road is an arterial road of Kochi City. Also known as KK Road, it is one of the three north-south arteries in the city of Kochi. Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road starts at the Kadavanthra Junction and ends at Kaloor; Kadavanthra Junction and Kaloor are the two major junctions in the city of Kochi. Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road intersects the Sahodaran Ayyappan Road from Vytila (East) to Pallimukku Junction (West) at Kadavanthra Junction. The South extension of the Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road is the KP Vallon Road. Most of the long distance buses that connect the city to the regions of the south and southeast use this road to reach their main terminal at Kaloor. This 3.2 km long, 22 m wide, 4-lane city highway was planned to ease the load on the busy MG Road. The city is divided into two parts by the railway line running in a north-south direction. This road fills the need for an artery on the eastern sector, avoiding the choke points of the two railway overpasses. The road also has multiple banks along its route, such as the State Bank of India at Grand Bay, ICICI, Bank of India, HDFC, Central Bank of India -Kallelil Building, Kadavanthra Jn, etc. The condition of the Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road has increased over time.
Panampilly Nagar is a ward of Kochi, Kerala. It is an upscale area of downtown Kochi, with both commercial and residential developments. It is a busy upmarket residential area in Kadavanthra region just 1 km east of M.G Road, the center of Kochi city.
Greater Cochin is the area defined by Greater Cochin Development Authority for town planning. This area consists of the Kochi UA region and its suburbs. The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) are the nodal agencies that handles town planning and development within the Greater Cochin Area.
Gandhi Nagar is one of the two earliest planned housing colonies in Kadavanthra region of Kochi city in the state of Kerala, India. It was developed by the end of the 1970s by Greater Cochin Development Authority, the statutory body overseeing the development of Kochi. What is now Gandhi Nagar was, in the 1970s, abandoned paddy fields, and wet lands. The land was developed by filling with earth from the hills of Kakkanad, and a planned housing colony was developed.
Changampuzha Nagar is a prominent and planned residential area in Kalamassery in the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. The Residential area lies between Kalamassery municipal town hall and Pathadippalam near the National Highway 544 and is the major residential area in Kalamassery and Ernakulam. Changampuzha Nagar was developed by Kerala State Housing Board in 1975 and named after the great poet Changampuzha Krishna Pillai. There are about 600 houses in Changampuzha nagar with three children's parks one football ground, School building, Post Office, Ration shop, recreation club, Indoor shuttle court, library, clean and wide roads. This was once a rubber estate with an area, developed into a colony in the 70's, with houses developed into three types, EWS, LIG and MIG residential houses made like Panampilly Nagar and Gandhi Nagar, Kochi.
Transport in Ernakulam district consists of various modes.
Kadavanthra metro station is the 18th metro station of Kochi Metro from Aluva. It is a downtown station located at GCDA lawns catering passengers for Kadavanthra and Panampilly Nagar, situated in between Ernakulam South and Elamkulam metro stations. The station is based on the theme of " History of print media in Kerala". It was opened on 4 September 2019 as a part of the extension of the metro system from Maharaja's to Thaikoodam.