Velankanni to have modern food street by year-end

S. Karuppaiah, Executive Engineer, Directorate of Town Panchayats, Tiruchi, reviewing the progress of work on modern food street project.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Velankanni Town Panchayat has begun upgrading its street food vending zone, with the goal of completing the work by the end of this year. Funded by the Union Ministry of Urban Affairs, the project aims at creating a modern, clean, and safe environment for both tourists and pilgrims.

Velankanni, a major pilgrim centre known for the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, also features a beach with scattered fish stalls and food-related shops. To better organise these vendors, the town panchayat has provided 260 carts as part of the modernisation effort, benefiting both vendors and tourists.

An official from the town panchayat stated that this initiative would be similar to the food street at Kathipara in Guindy, Chennai. Velankanni receives on an average 12,500 visitors daily from various States, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Puducherry, and Maharashtra. Many visitors stay over the weekends and during summer vacations, highlighting the need for improved facilities.

Last week, the project’s progress was reviewed by S. Karuppaiah, Executive Engineer of the Directorate of Town Panchayats, Tiruchi Zone. Although the project is in its initial stages, officials are confident it will be completed by December with the inauguration expected by year-end.

The upgraded food street will feature a compound wall with three designated entry and exit points, a platform for carts with roofing, and a common washing platform. The area will be monitored by CCTV cameras.

Although the initial work order was issued in March, the project faced delays because of Lok Sabha election and the Velankanni Festival. Work is progressing steadily, with CCTV cameras installed and the compound wall construction nearing completion. The modernised food street aims at boosting tourism, enhance the experience for visitors, and improve safety and convenience for local vendors.