Kochi: The first phase of India’s first-ever rubber park, jointly promoted by central and state governments, at Irapuram near Perumbavur in central Kerala will go operational by the end of August 2002.

So far 13 units, involving a total investment of about Rs 25 crore, have been allotted land in the first phase in the park, christened Rubber Park India (RPI) Pvt Ltd. They have accounted for 20.12 acres of the total 28 acres available in this phase, says RPI managing director George Joseph.

Prominent among the units are a Rs 9-crore mechanised balloon manufacturing unit by Kerala State Cooperative Rubber Marketing Federation (RubberMark), Rs 7-crore heat resistant filaments and the elastic threads-making unit of Filatex. The RubberMark unit is a joint venture with a Malaysian company, which has agreed to buy back the entire products.

L&P Rubber Products, dealing with rubber-based solvents and adhesives, will be the first company to set up a unit in the park. The other proposed manufacturing units deal in products like tread rubber and moulded goods, latex, sulphur powder, mattresses, gloves, bearing pads and intermediate mix of carbon black and rubber.

The total expenditure for the first phase is Rs 8.7 crore. All the units have came during the ‘early bird’ scheme, under which a discount of 33.33 per cent was offered. The scheme came to a close on 30 June 2002, says Joseph.

The park is offering land on a 99-year lease at a rent of Rs 15 lakh per acre. The second phase of 65 acres is being developed and is expected to be ready by May 2003. The total cost of developing the entire 107 acres (including both phases) and providing power and water facilities has been revised at Rs 26.68 crore.

The original estimate was Rs 36.61 crore as the park had planned its own generation of power. Subsequently, it was decided to set up a 110-kv substation and to distribute the power supplied by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) in the park. The substation is ready and the park is waiting for the KSEB to charge it.

Of the other facilities, the water storage tank with a capacity of 4.5 lakh litres is ready. The other common facilities planned are: common effluent treatment plan, laboratory, canteen and hospital.

The Rubber Board and the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation have contributed Rs 10 crore each for the park, representing the central government and state government, respectively.