KOCHI: Hundreds of boat passengers continue to have a harrowing time reaching the Customs Boat Jetty in Fort Kochi as the restoration work of the approach road is moving at a snail’s pace.
Filled with debris and construction materials, the approach road is not pedestrian-friendly.
That when the Cochin Smart Mission Ltd (CSML) has promised to complete the construction work before December 10. The continuing boat operations and the heavy rush of passengers have been cited as reasons for the slow progress. The work has now been speeded up and the open drain into which a French tourist had fallen a couple of weeks ago has been covered, the authorities said.
The local residents, though, said the inadequate deployment of personnel and the unscientific construction method have resulted in the work getting prolonged.
“The work on the approach road and a revamped boat jetty was started a year ago. Though the terminal work was over, they couldn’t carry out a timely work on the approach road. The work is moving at a slow pace as CSML has deployed just a couple of personnel there. Also, the same is being implemented in an unscientific manner, without raising barricades. It resulted in the French tourist falling into the open drain,” said M M Abbas, president of the West Kochi Passengers’ Association.
French national Landon, 39, fell into the drain – dug as part of the approach road restoration work – on November 7 while he was walking along with his mother towards the boat jetty. Landon was rushed to the General Hospital and later underwent surgery at a private hospital. He was then shifted to the Apollo Hospital, Bengaluru. He finally flew back to his country on Friday.
“He slipped and fell into the drain as there was no barricade where the work was progressing,” said Fazarudheen, a local resident who witnessed the accident and helped pull Landon out with the help of other passers-by.
The development comes even as residents alleged that a slew of works being implemented by the CSML in the heritage town is making slow progress, affecting the daily life of residents.
“The works are being implemented at a tardy pace. For instance, the Chungam bridge construction is yet to be completed despite the work having started five years ago,” said K J Sohan, former Mayor and a Fort Kochi resident. Meanwhile, a CSML official said the entire work will be completed before December 10.
“We’ve completed the drainage work. Currently, the dismantling of the truss (old structure) is progressing. We’ll complete the entire work in another 10 days,” the official said.