Kochi metropolitan area

Kochi metropolitan area കൊച്ചി നഗരസമൂഹം Greater Cochin
Urban Agglomeration
Ernakulam Mainland, as seen from the Vembanad Lake Ernakulam Mainland, as seen from the Vembanad Lake
Country	India
State	Kerala
District	Ernakulam
Population (2014)
• Total	2,277,630
Languages
• Official	Malayalam, English
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Telephone code	0484
Vehicle registration	KL-7, KL-17, KL-39, KL-40, KL-41, KL-42, KL-43, KL-44, KL-63

The Kochi Urban Agglomeration (Kochi UA) is an urban agglomeration centred around the city of Kochi. It is part of the Greater Cochin region and the largest urban agglomeration in Kerala, India.

The area constituted on the basis of census data 2011, consists of Corporation of Kochi (Cochin), 9 municipalities, 14 Panchayaths and parts of 4 Panchayaths. The 9 municipalities are Thrippunithura, Maradu, Thrikkakara, Kalamassery, Eloor, North Paravur, Perumbavoor, Aluva and Angamali. The fourteen Panchayaths consists of Cheranelloor, Varapuzha, Chennamangalam, Kadamakkudy, Mulavukad, Kadungalloor, Alengad, Chengamanad, Nedumbassery, Chottanikkara, Choornikkara, Edathala, Kumbalam, Kottuvally and Vypin Island..

Apart from these local body areas, the Census Towns (CT) of Kureekad, Chowwara, Cheriyakadavu and Kedamangalam are also part of the Kochi Urban Agglomeration. Urban ugglomerations in India are determined on the basis of Census Towns (CT) which may or may not coincide with local bodies like Corporations, Municipalities or Panchayaths. E.g., Thrikkakara Municipality is enumerated as Census Towns of Kakkanad and Vazhakkala. Kochi urban agglomeration itself is not a geographically contiguous entity.

As per Census 2011, it has a population of 2,117,990 making it the largest urban agglomeration in Kerala.

History

Main article: History of Kochi

Kochi was the princely state under the Kingdom of Kochi which came into existence in 1102, after the fall of the Kulasekhara empire. The princely state was having the Kochi mainland as the capital. The state was ruled by Cochin Royal Family. However, the kingdom was under foreign rule since the 18th century, and the King often only had titular privileges.

On the earlier days, the kingdom of Kochi was always under the shadow of the attacks from Samoothirippadu (often anglicised as Zamorin), the ruler of Malabar the northern neighbour. From 1503 to 1663, Kochi was ruled by Portugal. Kochi hosted the grave of Vasco da Gama, the first European explorer to set sail for India, who was buried at St. Francis Church until his remains were returned to Portugal in 1539. The Portuguese rule was followed by that of the Dutch, who had allied with the Zamorins in order to conquer Kochi.

In the battle of Ambalapuzha (3 January 1754), the Dutch allied Kochi was defeated by Marthanda Varma of Travancore after he ousted the Dutch in the Battle of Colachel-1741. In 1757 AD, a treaty was concluded between Travancore and Cochin, ensuring peace and stability on the Southern border. By 1773, the Mysore King Hyder Ali extended his conquest in the Malabar region to Kochi, forcing it to become a tributary of Mysore. The hereditary Prime Ministership of Kochi held by the Paliath Achans came to an end during this period. Soon, Kochi was ceded to the United Kingdom by the Dutch, who feared an outbreak of war on the Dutch Republic signed a treaty with the United Kingdom. This was in exchange for the island of Bangka as per the treaty. Kochi was thus under the British rule, till India gained independence in 1947.

In 1949, Travancore-Cochin state came into being with the merger of Cochin and Travancore. The King of Travancore was the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1949 to 1956. Travancore-Cochin, was in turn merged with the Malabar district of the Madras State. Finally, the Government of India's States Reorganisation Act (1956) inaugurated a new state Kerala; incorporating Travancore-Cochin (excluding the four southern Taluks which were merged with Tamil Nadu), Malabar District, and the taluk of Kasargod, South Kanara.

Kochi Urban Agglomeration was defined in 1998, with the corporation of Cochin, municipalities of North Paravur Aluva, Angamaly, Kalamassery and 11 adjoining villages.

Economy

Kochi Marine Drive Day View

A night view of Marine Drive, Kochi

Main article: Economy of Kochi

Kochi Urban Agglomeration population
Census	Pop.		%±
1981	824,900		—
1991	1,140,600		38.3%
2001	1,536,400		34.7%
2011	2,117,990		37.9%
Source: Census of India

Kochi UA is referred to as the economic capital of Kerala. As a major coastal city which acts a gateway to goods in India, it has helped the development of the city

The economic growth gathered momentum after economic reforms in India introduced by the central government in the mid-1990s. Since 2000, the service sector has energized the economy. Over the years, the city has witnessed rapid commercialisation, and has today grown into the commercial capital of Kerala.

Constituents of the urban agglomeration

Place	Classification	2001 population	Area (km2)
Angamaly	Municipality	33,424	24.0
Chengamanad	Census town	29,775	15.6
Chowwara	Census town	13,603
Aluva	Municipality	24,108	7.2
Choornikkara	Census town	36,998	11.0
Edathala	Census town	67,137	16.0
Paravur	Municipality	30,056	9.0
Kottuvally	Census town	37,884	20.8
Varappuzha	Census town	24,516	7.7
Eloor	Municipality	30,092	14.2
Kadungalloor	Municipality	35,451	18.1
Mulavukad	Census town	22,845	19.3
Kadamakkudy	Census town	15,823	12.9
Cheranallur	Census town	26,330	10.6
Kalamassery	Municipality	63,176	27.0
Vazhakkala	Census town	42,272	19.6
Vypin	Census town	200,238	87.85
Kochi	Municipal corporation	596,473	94.9
Kedamangalam	Outgrowth	21,729	42.7
Alangad	Outgrowth	40,585	18.4
Cheriyakadavu	Outgrowth	8,326
Thrikkakkara	Municipality	22,486	42.8
Maradu	Municipality	40,993	12.4
Thrippunithura	Municipality	81,594	29.2
Chennamangalam	Outgrowth	21,881	14.7
Chottanikkara	Census town	19,168	17.3
Kureekkad	Census town	9,730
Perumbavoor	Municipality	64,545	28.5	TOTAL		1,546,470	≈600

External links

• Government of Kerala - Ernakulam Portal
• Government of India Ernakulam Portal