KOCHI: Fort Kochi, one of the most visited tourism destinations in the state, is set to get a facelift. For, the Tourism Department is looking to complete pending projects, including the reconstruction of the walkway on Fort Kochi beach and renovation of historical Chinese nets, besides setting up basic amenities for tourists. The Fort Kochi beach walkway had collapsed during the 2017 monsoon owing to sea incursion. Frequent sea incursions that followed affected attempts to restore the walkway.
“We have tasked IIT-Madras with conducting a study on the construction work required to restore the walkway. We are expecting their report by February. Based on it, we will prepare a project and expect to restore the walkway in six months,” said Kerala Tourism Joint Director K Raj Kumar. The restoration of Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi is another major project that is pending.
The Tourism Department aims to complete the project before the start of the next tourism season. There are 14 Chinese fishing nets close to the estuary with some of them being the largest in the world. KITCO is carrying out the renovation work for which the Tourism Department has sanctioned Rs 1.52 crore. “The availability of the right wood delayed the renovation.
The Forest Department has now approved the requirement of wood and the renovation work is expected to start in a month,” Kumar said. Recently, there were apprehensions that several Chinese nets were removed for the construction of the Water Metro project. The department has also sanctioned `1.51 crore for setting up toilet facilities at Fort Kochi.
The department’s plan is to build the facilities before the start of the tourism season and the Kochi Muziris Biennale in December. Till September last year, 3.68 lakh foreign tourists and 28.79 lakh domestic tourists visited Kochi. Of them, a majority visited Fort Kochi too. The Biennale and Fort Kochi’s inclusion in Nat Geo’s must-visit destination list for 2020 are expected to boost its tourism prospects.