Kerala has decided to revive the original comprehensive restoration plan for Akkulam Lake in Thiruvananthapuram after a scaled-down project estimated at ₹3.5 crore failed to attract a suitable contractor. The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) took the decision at a meeting held a few days ago, according to officials associated with the project, and a fresh tender is expected to be issued shortly.
The move shifts the project away from an interim package focused mainly on urgent maintenance and back towards a wider restoration of Akkulam Lake and its watershed. The original initiative, titled “Rejuvenation of Akkulam Lake and its Watershed – Rebuilding Kerala the Sustainable Way”, was planned as an ecological restoration and recreational development project in the state capital.
The project received revised administrative sanction of ₹185.23 crore. A contract awarded in 2022 to Hyderabad-based Sri Avantika Contractors Ltd was negotiated at ₹96.13 crore. The state government terminated that contract in May 2025, citing deficiencies related to technical expertise, operational capabilities and compliance with contractual requirements.
After the termination, authorities attempted to move ahead with a substantially reduced package intended as an immediate intervention. The package included removing water hyacinth and other invasive weeds, desilting selected stretches, repairing damaged walkways and fencing, and restoring facilities at the Akkulam boat club so that boating activities could resume. Fresh bids were invited for the reduced work, but the tendering process did not produce a suitable contractor.
Wapcos Ltd, a public sector undertaking under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, is the implementing agency for the project on behalf of Kerala’s tourism department. Following the KIIFB discussions, the tourism department is preparing to initiate another tendering process and identify an agency capable of executing the broader project scope.
A senior tourism department official said the department would take forward the project under the original plan and begin the tender process shortly. The final project cost and scope will be reflected in the tender documents, indicating that the sanctioned amount and earlier contract value may not directly represent the terms of the new procurement.
Akkulam Lake was once a popular recreational destination in Thiruvananthapuram, but its condition has deteriorated amid the spread of water hyacinth, pollution and damage to public infrastructure. The lake’s decline has affected both its ecological function and its potential as a public recreational space.
The failed reduced tender also highlights the administrative difficulty of separating immediate maintenance from long-term restoration. While the smaller package was designed to address visible problems quickly, the latest decision recognises that the lake and its watershed require a larger intervention rather than limited cleaning, repairs and beautification. The next formal milestone will be the release of the fresh tender documents, which will establish the revised project scope, cost and implementation requirements.
