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Destination Aluva

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The ongoing construction boom is changing the face of Aluva. Apart from its proximity to Ernakulam, there are other attractions that builders hope to capitalise on writes Renu Ramanath in THE Hindu .

The banks of Periyar have started beckoning the builders. Though the construction sector in Ernakulam had been experiencing an unprecedented growth, Aluva and suburbs had not witnessed activity on a similar scale.

But no longer. More than half a dozen builders are now completing their projects in and around Aluva, with more getting ready to take the plunge. Many of the city-based builders are expanding towards Aluva, while new groups based along the banks of Periyar are springing up.

Moving outwards


So, what is the reason for this move outwards? The answer is simple and straightforward - to get away from the city, to get a breather from the congestion and pollution. "Availability of water is a major factor drawing people towards Aluva," points out Manoj Kanappilly, director of Amity Projects India. "Many people residing in Ernakulam have to spend at least Rs.50 per day for getting potable water, even in upmarket apartments. Guess what that comes to in a month, or a year! And, in this situation, moving away to a quieter suburb such as Aluva makes sense," he says.

Aluva has not so far felt the acute water scarcity experienced by most of Ernakulam, as water to the city is being pumped from here. Besides, Aluva also has good quality ground water. Ordinary wells or bore wells can produce water that is not hard, unlike in Ernakulam where groundwater is unusable due to the heavy presence of minerals.

Proximity to the International Airport at Nedumbassery is another major factor. "Air travel is increasing at an unprecedented level," points out Santhosh Nair, chief operations officer of Trinity Builders. He also concedes that the real estate scene in Aluva is growing in a big way. "Now, the airport is not a distant place even for the common man, hence accessibility to the airport has become a major factor for people while considering the purchase of an apartment."

He points out that the earning profile of the average Malayali family has gone up considerably. Now, it is possible for an average middle class family where both husband and wife are working to earn up to Rs.45,000 per month. Hence, living standards and expectation of comfort levels have also gone up. "People do prefer to stay in reasonably well-appointed apartments," according to Mr. Nair. Trinity targets people (read families), earning around Rs.45,000 per month. That is one major segment. Also, the non-resident Indian segment as well as the medium level business people who at present stay in Kochi.

Easy access


Aluva is also accessible to the hill stations, such as Munnar. It is just a three-hour drive from Aluva to Munnar. Add to it the accessibility of the township via rail and road. All trains stop at Aluva, and all buses plying along NH-47 also stop there. Aluva also offers a lot of working options, as the sleepy urban outpost of yesteryears has now developed into a bustling town. There are many institutions, operating there. Being the location of the headquarters of the Federal Bank is an added advantage surely.

But, the most attractive aspect of Aluva, especially the banks of the Periyar, is the `real' waterfront experience. Jaiby, of Periyar Residency, a new group based at Aluva, points out that the `water front apartments' in Ernakulam offers the `water front' only to see. "Nobody dare even touch the water in the water bodies surrounding these apartment complexes due to the high pollution. But, in Aluva, the Periyar still flows rather unpolluted. It is possible to step down and even take a plunge."

Bathing ghats


Periyar Residency plans to offer private bathing ghats along with their apartments. It is one of the new groups springing up in Aluva. Rajiv Kumar Cheruvara, of Apple-A-Day, points out that the relatively lower land value and flat cost is another factor drawing people and builders towards Aluva. Generally, land is available around Rs.1.25 lakhs to 1.5 lakhs a cent, even though the price varies according to the location. This is a big draw, compared to the busy stretches of Ernakulam where the value has crossed Rs. 20 lakhs even.

Easy traffic


Even though the traffic jam in the National Highway during peak hours poses a problem right now, it is hoped that with the Airport-Seaport Road and the Vallarpadam Container Terminal Road, the congestion on the roads could be reduced considerably. "The Aluva - Ernakulam distance can be covered within 15 minutes by car," points out Mr. Manoj.

The builders are offering comfortable three to two-bed room apartments in Aluva. The price range of Amity's second project coming up at Pulinchode, Aluva is around Rs.1,250 a sq. feet. In Ernakulam an average waterfront apartment costs Rs.3,500 per sq.feet. Periyar Residency is offering apartments at the rate of Rs.1,356 per square feet.

Target groups


The projects in Aluva target the middle-class working families, as well as business class, who would like to live in a quiet suburb after a hectic workday. Aluva also has the added advantage of good educational institutions. There are a number of good schools in and around Aluva. As for higher studies, most of the educational institutions are centred round Kalamassery.

Ernakulam has a lot of attractive features to offer than we think, points out Mr. Santhosh. "Look at the road from the Nedumbassery Airport. It is a beautifully planned route, which is not crowded and offers a fabulous view. Also, the Airport itself is very efficient and most modern. You can get the baggage faster than most other airports in India," according to him.

At most of the places, the price range varies according to the river view offered. So, it seems that the movement towards the outer reaches of the city has already set in, marking the slow evolution of a metro, which swallows the neighbouring localities into its enlarging fold. Kochi cannot hope to alleviate any of its problems without the suburbs, including Aluva and Kalamassery developing into seats of housing and industry.

A very interesting blog that I read on Alwaye

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I’m always going on about Delhi on my blog - justifiable, it is the nation’s capital and it is where I primarily live, work and play. But for a change today, I’m going to dedicate a whole post to my hometown - little old Aluva (or Alwaye), tucked away in the heart of Kerala. I’m a city girl. I’d far rather honeymoon in New York than the Bahamas. Nothing thrills me like a walk through a bustling shopping district and a stopover at a busy café. I don’t much care for scenic mountain roads or monsoon-wet forests. But as I sit here in my library (far, far from Delhi) looking out the window at the rain pasting down the narrow roads of my hometown, I am deliriously content. I love Alwaye because it is the perfect midway between sleepy town and modern city. Geographically, it’s only half an hour’s drive from Kochi, arguably the most modern city in Kerala. This proximity has a huge effect on Alwaye: while its development is always retarded by the prospect of just having to hop over to Kochi for anything you need, its population is also subtly altered by the rapid modernization of the city next door.

A lot of people consider Alwaye a retirement town, and some others, an academic centre. It’s also associated with a nearby governmental fertilizer company that has defined it as an industrial hub for very long. But moving through the half-crowded roads in the town centre, you can be led to believe the retirement myth is more correct. I don’t know if it’s because my parents also retired here and all their friends are senior citizens, but most of the people I know here are old-world professionals and academics. Young people are scarce and itinerant, the NRI or studious scions of retired families, like me. But I really like the few young people who live here - there are plenty of grand old colleges and schools here and some students commute daily to Kochi as well. So young Aluvaites have a polite sophistication and exposure unseen in other parts of the state, thanks to the Kochi-effect. Even the most financially middling are not oblivious to the glamour of M.G. Road. While this is a very blonde thing to say, it can’t be argued with - non-resident mallu young un’s like me are most wary of the lascivious gaze of Malayalee men once we return for our holidays in our jeans and sleeveless kurtas. But in Alwaye, you might be left feeling distinctly unnoticeable. Nobody really cares; they’ve seen it all.

Of course the best feature of Alwaye, hands down, is the Periyar river on whose bank the town is built. A regular tour feature for all my friends who stopover here is a walk down to the ancient Siva Temple at what is called the Manappuram - a low sandy plain on the river bank that hosts a rather grand annul Sivratri fair. The temple is an all-metal, open affair that is famous for getting submerged in the flooding river during monsoons. The plain about it is a pleasant, open grassy space where lovey-dovey couples, devotees, washerwomen, cows, loafers and stupid tourists like me mill about the wide steps that lead into the river. You can get wet, talk and eavesdrop on conversations upstream that get carried down by the wind… or just laugh at the effect of a visual-aural gap between what you see on the opposite shore and when you hear it happen. And the Siva Temple isn’t the only temple in Alwaye, FYI, so there is quite an elephantine/bell-clanging atmosphere to the town.

Oh yes, and last but not the least, I have to mention the liquor aspect. The next northward town after Alwaye is Angamali, notorious for sporting the world’s highest per capita intake of alcohol, I kid you not. And the AA atmosphere isn’t confined to Aluva but spreads like a cancer all through the Angamali-Kochi area. Hit the road post 6pm and you’ll know what I’m talking about - pedestrians are almost uniformly male and unable to walk in a straight line. If this was Delhi the sexual harassment would be, as a consequence, at an all-time high, but thankfully the happy drunks are non-interfering. They just have a lot of money in hand after a hard day’s work and like to hit the local Beverage Corporation with their buddies. You’d be amazed at how nonchalant they are about it in these parts - the shaky old man who came to pull down our coconuts the other day claims he drinks ‘only’ a quarter everyday, what’s so wrong with that? His hands were shivering with withdrawal. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 210.18.91.51 (talk) 14:56, 16 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Slight exaggerations?

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QUOTE: home to the summer residency of the Travancore royal family - the Alwaye Palace -[2] END of QUOTE

How can this be true, when Alwaye is north of Cochin. Travanocore Kingdom was south of Cochin.

Second: QUOTE: Sree Narayana Guru, one of India's greatest social reformers END of QUOTE Sree Narayana Guru was a great social reformer of Travancore kingdom. How can he be mentioned as a social reformer of 'India', which was a nation formed in 1947? As it is Travanocore Kingdom did not bother to join India, and had to be threatened to join it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.214.31.19 (talk) 11:36, 24 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]

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