A walkway in ruins
KOCHI:As tourism in Fort Kochi battles a downfall, the lack of facilities is driving away the very few domestic tourists who opt to visit the spot. The walkway near the scenic spot is in a dilapidated state, putting the lives of many domestic tourists at risk.
The walkway was destroyed in early 2017 due to incessant sea erosion. The condition worsened after Cyclone Ockhi and the recent floods. Despite many complaints from tourists and locals, the authorities have done nothing.
“We have been requesting the authorities to renovate the walkway for a long time. Forget the case our safety, we have been constantly witnessing small children getting into waters through this debris,” said Nelson, a shopkeeper.
Echoing the same, a home guard aid, “People are recovering from the floods and we are expecting more number of tourists in the coming days. Though we have tied ropes for safety, people are freely entering the beach without bothering about the danger.”
Projects on the anvil
Although agreeing on the difficulties caused to the tourists, officials are promising better days ahead. “We have convened a meeting of various stakeholders a few months ago under the aegis of K J Maxi MLA. The Irrigation Department has agreed on building the seawall soon,” said Shiny Mathew, chairperson, Town Planning Committee, Kochi Corporation.
“In fact, I personally requested KMRL CEO APM Mohammed Hanish to revamp the walkway and beautify the nearby area as part of their water project. He has promised to take up the work along with the construction of the Jetty for Water Metro,” she added.
On the other hand, the Tourism Department waits for the completion of seawall construction to kickstart their plans. “As per our knowledge, the Irrigation Department has already finalised the estimate for the seawall project. Once the construction is over, we can initiate the walkway project,” said Nandakumar,
district joint director, Kerala Tourism.