KOCHI: The Kerala Handicraft Dealers and Manufactures Welfare Association has alleged Mattanchery by where one of the terminals of the much-touted water metro project announced by Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) in 2019 was proposed to come up has been dropped, citing a lack of interest from the respective stakeholders including trade unions and politicians.
The association, in a press meet, held on Wednesday at the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Mattanchery, also alleged that the project was approved by all authorities and the contractor had also received Rs 7 crore as an initial payment.
Arafath Nazar, secretary of the association, said, “We recently met the senior officials of the KMRL and learnt that Mattanchery was excluded from the project.” He said this is unfortunate because Mattanchery is probably the only tourist place that has historical monuments which can be seen by travelling through backwaters. “Unlike other tourist locations like Fort Kochi, Mattanchery does not have basic facilities for tourists such as good toilets, resting places, food courts or tourist information centres. These facilities would have been included in Mattanchery with the implementation of the water metro project. However, since it has been excluded from the plan, the future of Mattanchery tourism-based business remains at stake,” he said.
Godwin P Isidor, president of the association, also stressed the need to implement the water metro project at Mattanchery. “The success of the water metro will ensure better connectivity and inflow of tourists, thereby reducing traffic on the roads.
This will also help in solving the parking problems which are currently being witnessed in Mattanchery due to the inadequate parking spaces. Moreover, water metro tourism will be a boost to the tourism industry,” he said, adding that the association has requested the officials concerned not to avoid Mattanchery from the project. Members of the association Rockey C Naroth and Kannan Balachandran were present.
KMRL DENIES MOVE
“Mattanchery is one of the terminals proposed for the water metro. As there was a delay from the side of the contractor to start the works of the Mattanchery terminal, the construction of the terminal has been removed from their scope of work. A new tender will be invited as soon as we receive the approval from the funding agency,” said a spokesperson of KMRL.