KOCHI: Some of the kiosks installed by Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) and Kochi corporation to rehabilitate street vendors in Fort Kochi have been left to ruins, turning them into illegal waste dumping spots.
As many as six street-vending kiosks, out of the 56 inaugurated in June last year, have been in a poor condition.
Shiny Mathew, the councillor for the Fort Kochi division, said the kiosks were allotted to the vendors as part of efforts to organise street-vending in the most crowded tourist destination in the city.
“There are around 300 vendors in the area. The kiosks were built and handed over to vendors. However, a few have not been in use, leading to damage to the structure,” she said.
In a survey, the corporation had identified 2,351 such street vendors in 69 vending zones and had decided to rehabilitate them. The project was first implemented in Fort Kochi.
Meanwhile, Kochi corporation’s street-vending committee is yet to discuss the issue.
“The committee will discuss the issue and take action to repair and make them useful again. The aim of the project was to bring uniformity in street vending. However, we are facing some challenges. We need to identify more space for rehabilitation,” said Antony Painuthura, the street-vending committee chairman.
The street-vending project was implemented after a committee, comprising councillors, prepared a draft bylaw which the state government approved on June 27, 2024.
Shiny pointed out that the abandoned kiosks have become a waste dumping point in Fort Kochi.
“We also noticed that the kiosks are used for illegal waste dumping. We have informed the authority concerned to rectify the issue and reallocate the kiosks to vendors. Steps have been taken to prevent waste dumping too,” she added.
