Delay in completing ferry, jetty works hits commuters in West Kochi

Delay in dredging at Mattancherry Jetty and renovation of Customs Jetty causing chaos and safety issues for commuters.

Hundreds of commuters who rely on ferries to travel from West Kochi to the city have been left in the lurch due to the inordinate delay in completing the dredging of the waterbody around the Mattancherry Boat Jetty owned by the State Water Transport department (SWTD) and the alleged delay in renovating the Customs Jetty in Fort Kochi.

The Irrigation department is reportedly being blamed for the delay in completing the dredging at Mattancherry Jetty and the subsequent delay the SWTD is facing in resuming ferry. Meanwhile, the delay by Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML)in renovating the Customs Jetty is reportedly causing safety issues and chaos within the premises of the congested jetty, which commuters from much of West Kochi rely on.

The West Kochi Passengers’ Association recently submitted a memorandum to the District Collector, expressing frustration over the contractor halting the dredging of the backwaters near Mattancherry Jetty. The association also criticised the slow progress of the renovation of the Customs Jetty and its drainage system by the contractor hired by CSML.

“Hundreds of commuters board and alight from ferries here, but the drainage works are delayed by over two months. The lack of safety precautions even led to a foreign tourist falling into the open drain,” said M.M. Abbas, president, and Padmanabha Mallya, secretary of the association.

Responding to the issue, sources in SWTD said the delay in dredging Mattancherry Jetty had been raised repeatedly with the Minister for Irrigation and the Chief Engineer of the department .They added that this delay had prevented the SWTD ferries from calling at the jetty since the pandemic.

On the safety issue posed by the delay in drainage works and open drains at Customs Jetty, CSML officials said instructions had been issued to the contractor to expedite the work and barricade the work site after a tourist fell into the drain.