Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran will formally launch the third phase of Arteria, the city’s beautification project, on Friday.
The endeavour, which will mostly involve restoration of the mural paintings undertaken during the other phases, will get under way near the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation office.
Secretary of Social Justice Department Biju Prabhakar, who is a member of the renovation committee, said the government has sanctioned ₹10 lakh for the purpose.
Besides, another ₹2.5 lakh that had been allocated by the Tourism Department for maintenance of the art works during the previous phases will also be utilised.
The government had sanctioned ₹50 lakh for the project initially. Public-sector enterprise Steel Industries Kerala Limited (SILK) has been tasked with the project implementation.
According to project curator Ajith Kumar G., the paintings have lasted for five years, at least two years more than what had been targeted, thanks to public participation in preserving them.
While some works have now began to fade off, the plaster has fallen off in some others. While the original artists will oversee the restoration of their works, their students and apprentices will undertake the activity in accordance with the photographs of all the basic drawings, he said.
Co-curator Ashok Kumar and SILK head (projects) Sukesh Pillai also attended the press conference here.
