KOCHI: Continuing their effort to make Fort Kochi beach into a tourist-friendly destination, the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) kickstarted the Phase II cleaning work recently. For the past few months, water hyacinths, plastic waste and other garbage materials were deposited on the shores of the beach. The cleaning drive was initiated as per the directions given by the Tourism Department director.
Earlier, Centre for Heritage, Environment and Development (C-HED), the autonomous Research and Development wing of the Kochi municipal corporation, cleaned up the southern end of Fort Kochi in the last week of December prior to new year celebrations.
“We have started work with the help of earth movers. It is a follow up to the cleaning drive of C-HED which concluded on January 1. Though the drive has transformed the area, it has returned to its earlier state within a week. Since the quantity of garbage increases by the day, we are doing a one-off cleaning drive to improve the situation at the beach,” said a DTPC official.
The cleaning drive which is being implemented under the department’s Clean Destination campaign involves 12 workers each from Kudumbashree and C-HED. “Currently, two earth movers, including one from Kochi corporation are used for cleaning. Plastic materials are being shifted by the corporation to Brahmapuram plant while biodegradable waste is kept near the beach. We are working on a comprehensive plan to ensure a lasting solution to the issue,” added the official.