Fresh trouble brewing for Water Metro project

Heritage enthusiasts again oppose construction of jetty near Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi

Even as the rolling out of the first Water Metro ferry has overshot its revised deadline by over six months, fresh trouble is brewing for Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), as heritage enthusiasts have yet again objected to the construction of a jetty near the iconic Chinese fishing nets that dot the Fort Kochi beachfront. A row of three heritage buildings located behind the nets — on land owned by the Cochin Port Trust — had been demolished in December 2020 to create space for the Water Metro’s Fort Kochi jetty, despite fiery opposition from heritage enthusiasts and conservation architects. “KMRL still insists on building a jetty between two Chinese nets at the harbour mouth, despite safety implications,” said former Mayor K.J. Sohan, who is the convener of INTACH - Kerala, a heritage body that recently filed complaints before the Archaeology Department, following which works to commence the Water Metro’s jetty construction were halted.