KOCHI: Shaji travels nearly 12 kilometres every day to reach his workplace in Fort Kochi. He doesn’t mind the journey — the traffic snarl-ups, the crowded ferry, and the long walks through lanes bathed in history. It has been his routine for decades.
However, for the past few years, this very routine had started to sap the Edappally native’s strength. Not the entire journey per se. Just the final stretch — the nearly one-kilometre-long Calvathy Road.
Years of stalled construction, potholes and dust have left this road in shambles, making travel near perilous. “It’s tough to reach the workplace now,” Shaji says. His plight is emblematic of the struggle faced by countless others who traverse this historic yet neglected stretch, considered the gateway to Fort Kochi.
Calvathy or chaotic road
The Calvathy Road, which dates back to the 14th century, boasts a rich history and cultural significance. It’s not just any road; it’s the spine of an area that once hosted Arab settlers and European quarters. The remnants of these eras can still be seen, with the 14-century Calvathy Juma Masjid standing as a silent witness to centuries gone by.
“Muslims were the first community to have migrated and settled in Calvathy, in the latter half of the 1300s. The Calvathy Juma Masjid is an indispensable shard in piecing together Kerala’s Muslim history,” says Johann Binny Kuruvilla, who runs the popular Kochi Heritage Project.
Indeed, it is the “second-oldest mosque in India, the oldest being the Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kodungallur, an hour’s drive from Kochi,” says Stephen Robert, a local resident.
Calvathy Road connected the twin towns of Fort Kochi and Mattanchery. “Fort Kochi mostly had European settlements, while Mattanchery belonged to the erstwhile Cochin state. The colonial forces often clashed with those of Cochin kingdom here,” Johann says.
It was also a stretch of commerce with merchants, traders and businessmen from a horde of communities setting up their shops here. “During the time of the Portuguese, it was also a shipbuilding lane. It is believed that Vasco da Gama first landed in Kochi near the Calvathy bridge. The area also housed a palace of the Cochin royal family,” Johann adds.
Also, who can forget the Great Fire of Cochin, asks Thaha Ibrahim, a historian in Mattancherry. “A massive fire in 1889 decimated over 300 houses and a clutch of companies on Calvathy road. How the place rose from its ashes is also a testament to the resilience of communities here,” he says.
Today, none of this history is discernable amid the veil of dust kicking up from the dug-up road. “The ongoing construction work, which began in 2016, has turned this historic thoroughfare into a symbol of urban decay,” says K J Sohan, the former Mayor of Kochi.
Niyas C A, a social activist and resident of Fort Kochi, concurs. “My daughter has severe breathing issues due to dust exposure,” he says. Recently, he had to move his family out of Calvathy Road due to the health hazards it now poses. “This isn’t about a road in disrepair anymore,” he adds.
Impact on tourism
Local businesses are feeling the brunt of this neglect. Abdul Rahman, owner of Hotel Tippu Sultan, recounts the toll the road work has taken on his livelihood. “The construction has been dragging on for years, affecting my business and every other shop on this street. The dust troubles my guests; they come for a good meal but leave frustrated,” he laments.
The construction dust not only disrupts daily operations but also drives away potential customers, leading to a noticeable dip in revenue.
At Go Stops, a popular lodging establishment, the impact is equally severe. Staff members report that the road’s condition has led to numerous complaints. “Guests, unable to park outside, often cancel their reservations upon seeing the pathetic state of the road. Even our air conditioners were damaged at one point due to the dust,” an employee at the hostel recounts.
Negative reviews from disgruntled visitors exacerbate the situation, painting a grim picture of a place that once bustled with tourists.
Backpackers Hostel, also on this stretch, received bad online reviews from guests because of the stalled construction work all around. Despite being a well-maintained establishment, it has lost many walk-in customers.
One review mentioned, “There was construction work going around the hostel and the entire place was full of dust.”
Another unhappy guest remarked that their rooms were covered in dust “due to the construction work nearby.” The only construction work that was happening at the time was on the road, according to the hostel staff.
Daniel Kiem, one of the shareholders of Fort House, a waterfront hotel on Calvathy Road, says, “Tourist buses are unwilling to take the road because of its sorry condition. All hotels on this stretch are losing big groups of tourists.”
That’s not all. Several vehicles have been damaged whilst navigating this stretch. “The metal scrap on this unrepaired road has punctured many vehicles. I don’t know why this construction is taking so long to complete,” says Daniel.
Autorickshaw drivers, too, echo the sentiments of business owners, highlighting the difficulty tourists face navigating the area. “This road is the doorway to Fort Kochi and many major hotels,” one rickshaw driver explains. “Tourists struggle to get around and many choose not to visit at all,” he adds.
“All businesses on this stretch, both big and small, are running at a loss. This is not ideal. Tourism is the lifeline of Fort Kochi. It cannot be impaired because of official apathy,” says M P Sivadathan, the director of Kerala HATS, a state tourism advisory committee.
What the authorities say
The Calvathy road was dug up several years ago and has yet to be rebuilt, says Salim, a resident voicing his discontent.
“The government ignored us for the longest time. The situation reached a tipping point, prompting the residents to strike and demand action.
This eventually led the government to earmark July 10 as the deadline to complete the work. But we are past that deadline and the road is very much still in shambles,” he says.
Officials from DTPC Ernakulam and the Tourist Information Office tell TNIE that they have not received any complaints about the state of the road — neither from the tourists nor the locals or stakeholders in the tourism industry.
“We are aware of the road’s poor condition but road management is not in our jurisdiction,” an official says.
Niyas, however, lashes out that the officials are not responding to his complaints. “I approached the CSML office nine times, but in vain. Mailing the District Collector too didn’t fetch any results.”
Town Planning Commission Chairperson M H M Asharaff, too, shares a similar view. “CSML is not handling the management of Calvathy Road responsibly. There is no proper communication between the CSML authorities and the councillor’, he says.
Asharaff also adds that the road is not just used by tourists and residents, but also by several school-going children. “The sorry state of this stretch poses injury concerns as well,” he says.
Though intended to benefit tourism, the development of roads is now affecting it negatively due to the delay in its completion. “Bad roads anywhere in Fort Kochi greatly affect the tourism sector,” says writer-painter Bony Thomas.
As Shaji trudges along the battered path each day, the hope for a swift resolution grows stronger.
“Calvathy Road, with its storied past, deserves better,” he says.
At a glance
Calvathy Road, which dates back to the 14th century, is not just any road; it’s the spine of an area that once hosted Arab settlers and European quarters
It connected the twin towns of Fort Kochi, which housed several European settlements, and Mattanchery, which belonged to the erstwhile Cochin state
It was also a stretch of commerce with merchants, traders and bussinessmen from a horder of communities setting up shops here