KOCHI: Fort Kochi, one of the major tourist attractions in the city, is in a state of neglect at a time when the tourism sector is bouncing back to normalcy after the third wave of pandemic.
A tourist coming to the Fort Kochi town will now be welcomed with the sight of heaps of waste materials abandoned by contractors of development works being carried out in the area, open drainages, a beach walkway without handrails, temporary dividers on boat jetty, abandoned trees lying across the walkways and parks, collapsed shelters, abandoned construction materials, pavement tiles scattered on streets, misleading signboards, abandoned old vehicles and many more.
The councillor of Fort Kochi division of Kochi corporation, Antony Kureethara, said stoppage of the development work halfway by the Cochin Smart Mission Ltd (CSML) was the main reason for the improper disposal of construction materials in the area.
“We are hopeful that the CSML authorities will take steps to make the area tourist-friendly,” he said.
“The situation in the town is very bad. Heaps of construction materials unattended by authorities and open drainages will give visitors a pathetic impression of the town,” said former mayor K J Sohan.
He has pointed out that a temporary divider set up in the Ro-Ro Jetty in the town is posing a serious threat to bike riders.
“The divider was built using electric posts and drums. Two-wheeler riders who wait in front of the jetty often struggle due to the narrow track. A bike accident had occurred in the region recently and a woman had a narrow escape from falling into backwaters. There is no handrail in the region,” he said.
The old signboards of the tourism department and Kochi Metro Rail Ltd were seen abandoned on the footpath near No.18 hotel near the bus stand. Construction materialswere dumped in front of the revenue divisional office and police station in the town.
