Malappuram Municipality to give facelift to pond

Facility to be developed into a tourist attraction

Malappuram Municipality will soon have an iconic pond to welcome tourists. The municipal council on Wednesday finalised a master plan to convert Anjeenikulam at Konompara, Melmuri, into a pool that can attract tourists.

The project will be executed at a cost of ₹3 crore. The master plan prepared by Lensfed was released at a function held at the council hall here on Wednesday. Lensfed area president P. Abdul Latheef handed over the master plan to municipal Chairman Mujeeb Kaderi. He also made a video presentation of the project before the council.

The 36-metre-long pond will have a promenade around it, an open gymnasium, a mini open gallery that can accommodate up to 300 people, a coffee shop, benches, a children’s park, and toilets.

Municipal Chairman Mujeeb Kaderi said the pond was being renovated with an eye on future district and State-level swimming competitions. He said decorative lamps and plants would add to the charm of the pond.

Anjeenikulam is at present a key swimming pond in Malappuram Municipality. “Our aim is to lift it to a higher standard so that it will become an icon for the municipality,” said Mr. Kaderi.

Anjeenikulam got its name from the five false hemp or ‘cheeni’ trees around it, offering a canopy to the pond. It was the Minor Irrigation department that dug the pond a few years ago.

Lensfed also prepared a plan for a gate for the Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School, Malappuram.