1. Introduction
The draft Master Plan for Trivandrum is a very comprehensive and commendable
effort that is the fruit of a very long and intensive effort led by the Town Planning
Department. It’s indeed impressive that a task that has been too daunting for last 25
days has been completed in such short order and with the active engagement of so
many stakeholders.
Key aspects such as the proposal to have development centric zoning and density
guidelines, the comprehensiveness of the data gathered in sectors like
transportation and urban infrastructure, and the attention paid to the new drivers
of Trivandrum’s economy such as the technology, private services, education,
medical services, tourism and logistics industries.
The draft Master Plan is a truly forward looking document and serves as a solid
grounding to plan the development of the State Capital in the years to come.
However, a number of areas exist where improvements/amendments will enable
the final Master Plan to be the basis for the transformation of Trivandrum into a
true global city in the next decade.
Areas of Improvement
Rather than evaluate the draft point-by-point and page-by-page, it is most practical
and most constructive to suggest broad stroke improvements in key areas which
will result in truly transformative and large-scale impact on Trivandrum.
Accordingly, inputs are suggested in five key areas within the overall master plan
draft.
Scope of Master Plan
Land Use and Density
Urban Transit and Infrastructure
Economic Development
Strategy and Organizations
Within each focus areas, specific inputs are enumerated in brief together with the
underlying reasons for recommending those changes.
Section 1 - Scope of Master Plan
 The current draft confines its recommendations and plans to the Trivandrum
Corporation area in most part. Even after its recent expansion, the
Corporation forms but one part of the larger Trivandrum Metropolitan
Region which encompasses a significant portion of the Trivandrum District
 Key developments such as Technocity – which will see the development of
over 2 Crore sq.ft. of commercial space, employee over 100,000 IT

2. professionals, involve an investment in excess of Rs 10,000 Crores and make
very significant contributions to the economy of the district and State – is
located outside the current geographical scope of the master plan as are
areas such as Nedumangad which host strategic institutions such as the IISER
and IIST as well as the Balaramapuram-Neyyatinkara axis which is a nearly
continuous, high density stretch of urbanization which extends South from
the Corporation area till the border with Tamil Nadu
 Therefore, it is recommended that the scope of the master plan be
extended till Attingal in the North, Nedumangad and the foothills of the
Western Ghats in the East and till Neyyatinkara/Parassala in the South,
and encompassing all the areas, already urbanized or otherwise, between the
border of the Corporation and these peripheral urban centers
 However, this does not mean abandoning the current draft, rather it means
integrating the master plan with the individual development plans
(most of which already exist) of the outlying towns and then creating
adequate infrastructural, zoning and planning linkages across the
Trivandrum Metropolitan Area. This need not be a sequential process and
the integration of the peripheral towns can be done while the core master
plan is being finalized and even as its initial stages are being rolled out
 As mentioned above, a formal Trivandrum Metropolitan Area (TMA) has
to be established by due process by the State Government. The master plan
must act as both define this area and set the direction for development
within it.
 Tentatively the TMA will encompass 400-500 Sq.km out of the approximately
2000 Sq.km in the district and about 2.0-2.5 Million of the 3.3 Million people
in the district
 Eventually this will be extended along the NH-66 and the M.C.Road to the
district border, also bringing smaller but important cities like Varkala under
its scope. Perhaps it may be best to create the TMA with all these areas
within its scope and to roll out the master plan to the outer areas in 2-3
phases over the next 3-5 years.
 More than just extending the geographic scope of the master plan, it is
essential to extend its strategic scope as well. This means that the master
plan should also include the mechanisms and organizations needed to ensure
its proper and timely implementation. This will be dealt with in later
sections.
Section 2 - Land Use and Density
 The current draft recommends density based on a concentric model,
extending outwards from the CBD. The operative logic is to maintain the
current density of the CBD, to encourage density in the Outer City and to
discourage development in the periphery of the Corporation.
 As mentioned in the previous section, the Trivandrum Corporation area is
not the appropriate basis for a 30-year master plan as urbanization has

3. already far outgrown it. Therefore, it is counter-intuitive to restrict
density within the Corporation area because its peripheral areas are well
within the bounds of the larger Metropolitan area described in Section 1.
 Rather it makes sense to restrict density below that specified in the
KMBR only where there are established green areas or other
ecologically sensitive zones such as water bodies, water-sheds and wet
lands, or if there is active agricultural activities at the present time. However,
agriculture at any significant scale is an impractical activity within a
densely developed urban area and is best practiced on the peripheries of
the metro area, not within the Corporation area
 In terms of providing increased density – over and above KMBR, it is best
that this be focused in relation to transportation availability and
economic activity.
 Increasing density in a purely concentric fashion will ignore the practical
issues, such as the paucity of wide roads even within many parts of the core
urban area that are necessary to support high density or the fact that
focusing density around economic hub encourages the Work-Live-Play
lifestyle paradigm which helps to minimize commuting (and the
consequent vehicular use and pollution) by co-locating all the aspects of life.
 It is recommended that density incentives be provided to areas located
along primary transportation axes such as the NH-66 (Attingal to
Vizhinjam), old NH-66 (between Kazhakkoottam and Kaliyikkavila), M.C.
Road and other 4/6 lane roads within the metro regions, as well as along the
proposed route of the mass transit system (not just the current alignment
but along the entire network as proposed in Section 3). The latter promotes
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) and will help improve the viability
and effectiveness of the MRTS network. These density incentives may be up
to 1.5-2 times the FAR prescribed in KMBR for each use but must be
accompanied by stringent parking requirements.
 Similardensity incentives may be granted to developments in the
vicinity of (a 2 Km radius) of key economic hubs such as Technopark
(Phases I – 3), Technocity, Vizhinjam port project and the educational cluster
around the IIST, IISER and VSSC in the eastern quadrant of the city.
 In all areas of the metro area, density incentives may be selectively
granted to mixed-use projects that encourage compact urban development
rather than single use development that encourages urban sprawl, which is
undesirable from many perspectives.
 The proposal to encourage certain uses within each zone is very pragmatic
but mixed use has to be encouraged in every zone as mentioned above,
except perhaps in very specific use areas such as within the logistics zone
surrounding the deep-water port or within the medical services area.
 It is important to identify low-density areas within the metro area to create a
potential land bank for future development. Specific attention should be
paid to large swathes of Government-owned land that include
disused/under-used plantations in the north and east of the metro area.

4. Zoning restrictions in these areas should limit small-scale development and
encourage large-scale developments in the Public Private Partnership (PPP)
model.
Section 3 - Urban Transit and Infrastructure
 The research done on the transportation patterns and demand within the
city is very comprehensive and should serve as the basis for a truly
transformative and, not just incremental,development of the metro area’s
transportation infrastructure
 Most elements of the inner and first intermediate ring roads mentioned in
the study have already been taken up under the soon-to-be-completed TCRIP
project
 The first and second intermediate ring roads, as well as the outer ring road,
lie within the bounds of the Trivandrum Corporationand hence are
misnomers within the context of the metro area.
 Hence the roads may be re-designated as follows:
o Inner ring road as Core CBD orbital
o First intermediate ring road as CBD ring road
o Second intermediate ring road as First intermediate ring road
o Outer ring road as Second intermediate ring road
 All currently developed stretches of the above roads are to be developed as
4/6 lane stretches (as per appropriate traffic estimates till 2033), with
wide medians, sidewalks, utility ducts and drainage, well-designed and
signaled junctions, bus bays, landscaping and lighting. These roads may
be collectively developed as TCRIP Phase II with assistance from KFRB and
JNNURM Phase II.
 The following roads to be laid out:
o First Outer Ring Road:Kaniyapuram-Vembayam-Karakulam-
Vilappilsala-Balaramapuram-Vizhinjam
o Second Outer Ring Road:Attingal – Nedumangad-Malyinkeezhu-
Neyyatinkara
 These roads may be developed as 6-lane roadswith wide medians,
sidewalks, utility ducts and drainage, well-designed and signaled
junctions, bus bays, landscaping and lighting.
 Grade separators may be planned at all key intersections and power,
water and sewer lines should be developed co-axially and
simultaneously with these roads. These roads may be taken up with
assistance from NHAI, as outer ring roads are eligible for support under
NHDP Phase VII (Trivandrum was chosen along with Vizag for pilot studies).
 It may be noted that the former “NH 47 Bypass” is now the NH-66 and that
the former alignment of the NH-47 through the city has ceased to be a
national highway.
 Many intersections such as Ulloor, Vellayambalam, Sreekaryam, Pattom,
Pettah, Chackai, Kazhakkoottam, Peroorkada, Karamana and so on have

5. exceed their current capacities even after the introduction of signals and
significant junction improvements. The large-scale introduction of grade
separators has to be an integral part of the master plan
 All intersections where traffic volumes have already exceeded the
threshold for signaled intersections or will exceed the thresholds by
2033 should be taken up for immediatedevelopment of grade separators.
Key intersections include Ulloor, Medical College, Pattom, Vellayambalam,
Vazhuthacaud, Pettah, Kazhakkoottam, Attakulangara, Peroorkada,
Anamugham (over NH-66), Eanchakkal, Thiruvallam and so on. Since many
of these will lie on the alignment of the currently planned MRTS route as well
as on future routes, these need to be planned right now and their execution
incorporated into the development of the ring roads mentioned above. These
can also be made part of TCRIP Phase II.
 The scientific origin-destination studies referred to in the master plan clearly
indicate that there are multiple key movement axes in the metro area
running not just north-south but also east-west and radially out to
surrounding satellite cities such as Nedumangad and Attingal.
 Thus a single mass transit route will not suffice for a metro area the size of
Trivandrum with well over 700,000 daily trips.
 The master plan must incorporate a comprehensive mass transit network
that serves the entire metro area.
 This will be based around a multi-route mass transit system (viz the
monorail) but also incorporate other modes of transport such as commuter
rail, water transport and buses.
 The monorail system must be quickly expanded with at least the following
two additional routes (indicative diagram at the end of the document):
o Route 2:Kazhakkoottam – Aakulam – Airport (Chackai) – Pettah –
Palayam – Vellayambalam – Peroorkada – Nedumangad (It could
terminate at Peroorkada in Phase I).
o Route 3: Vizhinjam – Kovalam – Eanchakkal – Airport – Kochuveli –
Veli – Aakulam – KIMS - Medical College – Pattom – Kowdiar –
Peroorkada – Civil Station– Manathala – Vembayam.
 Since connecting stations between the currently planned route (Technocity
– Killipalam with extension to Neyyatinkara) and the above ones have to be
planned in advance, it makes eminent sense to complete this planning right
now itself. Such stations would include Kazhakkoottam, Pattom and Palayam.
 Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) can be considered as an alternative to
LRTS for connecting activity nodes. It needs about the same RoW width as
LRTS and is usually less expensive and more flexible.
 The multi-modal mobility hub located in Aakulam, between the NH-66 and
the Kochuveli Rail Terminal is a visionary idea and can incorporate road, rail,
air, water and mass transit (Route 2 as proposed above) modes of transit. It
may also be a great location for transit-oriented development.
 Commuter rail services(using MEMUs and double decker trains) need to be
greatly expanded on the Nagercoil-Kollam rail corridor. The addition of two

6. new lines will be necessary to decongest and expand the capacity of the
currently over-congested mainline railway system.
 The proposed new rail line via Nedumangad – Thenmala to link with the
Kollam – Shencottah line is another possible commuter axis.
 Nemon Railway Station has to be developed as an operations/logistics
center with the immediate acquisition of land to permit shifting of the
majority of train operations (maintenance and shunting) activities from
Trivandrum Central as well as container train operations as proposed in the
May 2013 master plan for the Vizhinjam project.
 The area between Chackai and Eanchakkal, on the west bank of the
ParvathyPuthanar has to be specifically zoned for uses related to the
International Airport.
 An integrated water supply system to cover the entire metro area has to be
established. This needs to be immediately rolled out to cover the newly
added areas of the corporation but also to the outlying areas of the metro
areas, with new systems in areas currently not covered and by linking
together existing stand-alone systems. The current 300 MLD capacity of the
city’s water system has to be progressively increased to 500-600 MLD
within the next 5 years. This will involve setting up additional processing
capacity and also tapping new water sources such as the Neyyar and Peppara
dams.
 The sewage network has to be extended to the entire Corporation area
and then progressively out to the rest of the metro area. It will be very
pragmatic to integrate the laying of sewage collection lines with the
construction of the roads and mass transit as proposed above.
 Since the area between Aakulam and Technocity is witnessing the greatest
volume of new commercial and residential development as well as the
highest density of uses, this zone may be prioritized for laying new lines.
Most of the large new buildings in the area currently have their own STPs,
but a centralized system is both more efficient and cost-effective.
 Considering even a water return volume of 50%, the city will need at least
250 MLD of sewage processing capacity in a few years, with the current
STP at Muttathara having a capacity of only 107 MLD. A second STP of 150
MLD capacity (two phases of 100 and 50 MLD) is therefore proposed within
the Veli-Kazhakkottam Industrial Estate.
 Centralized solid waste management is a necessity considering economies
of scale and the practical difficulties of managing dozens of de-centralized
plants. Plants that can convert organic waste into fuel/energy through
non-polluting anaerobic processing should be considered.
 One solution may be to have the plant located near Technocity/Technopark
so that the energy produced can be used for power and/or chilling in the
sprawling commercial facilities via a district energy/micro-grid system.
 In the case of non-recoverable, non-organic materials, an engineered
landfill built into a disused quarry or clay mine, is the best proposition.

7.  Large scale multi-level car parks (MLCPs) should be developed on the
BOT/BOOT/BOO basis along key transportation axes and in activity hubs,
starting with M.G. Road/old NH 47 (Kesavadasapuram to Karamana),
Thampanoor, Medical College, Secretariat, Technopark and Kochuveli.
 In the next 10-15 years, power consumption in the metro area is likely to
reach the 2500 Kwh/person/year level seen as a global average (and already
in emerging markets such as China). This will necessitate about 1000 MW of
generation capacity to meet the needs of the metro area and very likely
much more if we take the increasing scale of commercial and industrial
activities into account. A gas turbine power plant, fueled by natural gas from
an LNG import terminal built at Vizhinjam will be the ideal choice to meet
this need. The power plant can be developed in two phases of 1000 MW each
and the excess power exported to the rest of Kerala/India.
 Vizhinjam is the best-suited port in India for LNG import because of its
proximity to gas sources such as Australia, Indonesia, East Africa, the US and
Russia, as well as its deep draft. An LNG terminal at Vizhinjam can be
leveraged for a metro area wide gas distribution network as well as
conversion of vehicles to cleaner CNG, starting with government and
public transport vehicles.
 The availability of gas will also promote the development of micro-grids
which are localized, interconnected loads such as buildings within a campus
that share power generation and chilling capacity. This arrangement is very
cost-effective, efficient and resilient (in case of grid failure).
Section 4 - Economic Development
 Construction of a world-class convention and trade center (4000 seat
capacity in Phase I; expandable to 10,000 in Phase II) has to be immediately
initiated in the already allocated 45-acre parcel on the banks of the Aakulam
Lake. Considering it as one of four vital economic drivers (the others being
the cruise terminal at Vizhinjam, airport expansion and medical tourism
development) for the tourist industry, the government must take an active
role in funding and developing the facility. Worldwide, major convention
centers are either fully or partly funded by the public sector, with the cost
being recovered through usage charges and through a tax/cess levied on
hotels in the city.
 Vizhinjam is a world-class logistics gateway facility but if sufficient area
cannot be found for a world-class logistics zone attached to the port, much
of the benefit to the local economy will be lost as these activities will happen
elsewhere, most likely in the neighboring districts of southern Tamilnadu.
This will also make the port less attractive compared to others such as
Ennore or Mundra that have sprawling backup facilities. Such a zone requires
at least 500 acres of land. It can be a port-based SEZ even if it is not directly
at the port but has road/rail connectivity to it because of impending changes
in the SEZ act. A strategic parcel with low population density and

8. favorable terrain (preferably a large, disused Government or private
plantation), with direct access to the NH-66 and/or main rail line may be
identified and set apart for this project.
 The concentration of aerospace and defense related industries and
institutions in Trivandrum (VSSC/ISRO, Brahmos Aerospace, IIST and
Southern Air Command) make it an ideal location to establish an
aerospace/defense manufacturing facility, potentially including an SEZ.
Trivandrum is best positioned after Bangalore in this industry. Brahmos
has been looking for at least 50 acres of land for expansion. A dedicated
100-150 acre facility may be established in the North of the metro area
and/or close to the logistics zone proposed above. Such a facility to attract
high-value manufacturing business from ISRO, Brahmos, HAL and other
public and private agencies, including work for the new civilian airliner as
well as for the incoming Raphael and fifth-generation fighter projects.
 A Knowledge City project has been proposed in Trivandrum in May 2012. It
will be advantageous to plan the project as a high density development in
close conjunction with the existing knowledge cluster around Technopark
which includes not just Technopark and Technocity but also the University of
Kerala, College of Engineering Trivandrum, VSSC, CTCRI and so on. Proposed
locations include Technopark Phase III and Technocity.
 A key economic development initiative would be the creation of a strategic
land bank within the metro area so that future developments can be easily
accommodated as they arise. Large, under-used, thinly populated parcels
must be identified and either immediately acquired (while land prices are
low) or selectively zoned to restrict unplanned development and to restrict
non-economic development uses (such as residential construction).
Section 5 - Strategy and Organizations
 The development master plan must go beyond just describing what and
when development should be done. The plan should also lay out clearly
how (strategy) it will come about and who (organization) will implement
it.
 The plan as currently proposed, lays out many implementation
methodologies, including land use zoning and development controls, which
are standard urban design intervention strategies.
 An interesting strategy to finance some of the developments is to follow the
English New Town Tax approach that seeks to finance projects by
selectively taxing their beneficiaries. For example, levying a cess on hotels to
finance the convention center or a fee for additional FAR along a mass transit
line.
 PPP is an absolute necessity for the scale of development envisaged in the
plan and in sections 1-4 above. Various models of PPP development
ranging from the landlord model, through BOT and BOOT to the pure private
services model can be considered as appropriate for each project.

9.  The first key agency needed to implement the plan is the Trivandrum
Metropolitan Development Authority (TMDA) which should have the
following powers over the entire metro area which must be formalized:
o Issue all building permits and statutory clearances using a unified
code for the entire metro area as per the guidelines of the master plan,
KMBR, National Building Code etc
o Plan, finance and develop all public infrastructure under the
master plan that does not fall into the mandate of existing agencies
such as VISL, AAI, KWA, Indian Railways etc
o Plan, finance and develop economic development projects, where
not already under a specific agency. Even if under a specific agency,
like the department of tourism (in the case of the convention center),
TMDA can still be the financing and executing agency
o Act as the landlord/project sponsor for PPP development projects
and own the land and/or facilities and to collect revenues
o Raise funds for development projects by the issue of bonds, raising
debt from development finance institutions (World Bank, ADB, JICA et
c) and from commercial lenders and by levying fees/taxes.
o Periodically update the master plan (minor revisions once every two
years, major updates every five years). and act as it custodian.
 The TMDA must have a specialized economic development wing, modeled
along the lines of the New York City Economic Development Corporation
(NYCEDC) that creates strategic visions and plans, formulates project
proposals, raises funding, oversee project execution and, promotes and
facilitates private investment.
 The TMDA will not replace existing LSGs like the Corporation,
Municipalities or Panchayats but will only centralize certain activities that
need to be coordinated across the metro region and where scale economies
are possible.
 With the massive volume of transportation infrastructure development
planned in the next 10 years and the ever-growing transportation volumes in
the metro area, a dedicated agency is called for to integrate the
development and operation of all modes of transportation. This will be
the Trivandrum Metropolitan Transportation Authority (TMTA). It will
have the following key roles:
o Take over the planning, financing and development of the mass
transit system from the Kerala Monorail Corporation Limited.
Alternatively, it could take over operations of the mass transit lines
once KMCL develops them, acting as an operator while KMCL
continues to be the facility owner/landlord. However, the preferred
option is to have TMTA manage the system end-to-end.
o Plan and execute the inter-modal connectivity of the monorail
with the bus network and future BRTS/LRTS networks.

10. o Take over and expand the operations of the local bus fleet within
the metro area from the KSRTC. This is already the case in most major
Indian cities, not to mention across the world.
o Create a comprehensive multi-modal transportation plan for the
metro area till 2035and coordinate its execution with other agencies
such as AAI, Indian Railways, VISL etc The plan needs to be
periodically updated (minor revisions once every two years, major
updates every five years).
o Own and operate key transportation facilities in the metro area
including bus terminals, the multi-modal transit hub at Aakulam and
the mass transit stations. TMTA could also share the development cost
and ownership of new rail facilities with IR, with the latter taking care
of operations. This will help speed up railway development as IR is
cash-strapped at present.
o Operations and maintenance of the road infrastructure in the city in
association with the TMDA and the LSGs, including upkeep of street
lighting and signaling systems.
Conclusion
The suggestions enumerated in Sections 1-5 above are additions and in some cases
improvements to the existing body of work in the draft master plan, which is a very
comprehensive and up to date document in itself. They are intended to expand the
scope of the plan and to make it even better, a clear vision of Trivandrum can be
become a vibrant, sustainable, world-class city, rivaling Singapore, within the next
decade.