KOCHI: A master plan will soon be prepared for the overall development of Fort Kochi and to elevate it to the status of a world-class tourist destination.
The proposal for launching a master plan was a continuation of the meeting convened by Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas last week.
A follow-up meeting was held on Sunday to take adequate steps to revamp the tourism spots in Kochi. The online meeting was attended by Kochi corporation mayor M Anilkumar, MLA K J Maxi, District Collector S Suhas, the director of tourism, Ernakulam, and top officials from the Tourism department.
In the meeting, the mayor requested the minister to take steps to protect the beach at Fort Kochi and to construct a breakwater without affecting the heritage value of the destination. Riyas directed the Irrigation department to prepare a detailed project report based on the recommendations made by Chennai IIT for the permanent protection of the beach.
He also said the toilet complex, which will be constructed by the Department of Tourism, should be in collaboration with the Kochi Corporation, so that necessary permit and clearance can be obtained at the earliest.
MLA K J Maxi urged the minister to include steps for the beautification of Fort Kochi beach in the master plan.
“The Tourism department has launched the work for the renovation of Chinese nets in Fort Kochi. This work needs to be completed on a war footing. The work of the Heritage Society also needs to be strengthened,” he said.
Collector Suhas said there is a necessity to maintain cleanliness in the area and more awareness should be imparted to the public in this regard.
The minister assured that the Corporation, DTPC and the Heritage Society would jointly take steps to address the issue.
Riyas instructed the director of tourism to visit Kochi next week and coordinate with the mayor, MLA, and collector to speed up the renovation of the PWD Rest House.
The meeting also decided to take necessary steps to ensure the timely progress of the DTPC-led Floating Tourist Facilitation Centre.
The minister also suggested that the existing Tourism Promotion Scheme for the Fort Kochi area should be implemented effectively by ensuring active participation of the public.