Waterfront development project in Mangaluru partially complete

The waterfront development project taken up by Mangaluru Smart City Ltd. (MSCL) under Mangaluru Smart City Mission is partially complete.

The 2.1-km promenade development on the bank of the Netravathi from Netravathi railway bridge (near Morgan’s Gate) to Bolar sea face is one of the components of the project.

K.S. Arun Prabha, General Manager (Technical), MSCL, told The Hindu that promenade development has been completed to an extent of 450 metres from the railway bridge to a tyre retreading unit. This completed stretch has bird watching area, a tree house, an open air theatre, river touch point, washroom, and changing room, an open air gym, children’s play area, a watchtower, walking path, cycle track, fencing, seating arrangement for visitors, selfie point, ticketing booth, kiosk, an open well, and artisans’ space.

MSCL is planning to commission this stretch by the end of this December, Mr. Prabha said.

He said of the 2.1-km stretch, land on 300-m stretch is presently not available with the MSCL to take up the works owing to court matters. Of the remaining 1.8-km stretch, as 450-m stretch is ready, works are under progress on the 1.3-km area. “About 70% of the works on the 1.3-km stretch have been completed,” he said.

A retaining wall (on the riverside) has been built on the 1.8-km stretch and land has been reclaimed. The entry and exit plaza will be built near the Netravathi bridge, he said.

According to MSCL, the waterfront promenade development is proposed to re-engage the city with the varied water-related experiences that its settings provide. It intends to connect the city to the river and the sea with the help of proposed landmarks and nodes. These landmarks and nodes are further connected to the city through a series of road networks that will act as pendants between the city and the promenade.