Resumption of Water Metro terminal work at Fort Kochi draws flak
The Hindu
Heritage body points to safety repurcussions and threat to Chinese nets on the Fort Kochi beachfront
Heritage enthusiasts are up in arms, as Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has begun piling work to construct a terminal tucked in between the iconic Chinese fishing nets on the Fort Kochi beachfront, to berth Water Metro ferries. Piling work is in full swing, despite the Art and Heritage Commission directing the metro agency to halt the work, based on complaints given by the Kerala unit of INTACH, a heritage body, to the Archaeology Department. The organisation had in its complaint cited an alternative to redevelop the unused tourist and Kochi Corporation jetties at Kamalakadavu, located around 250 metres away from the Chinese nets and near the bus stand, to host Water Metro ferries. “The metro agency’s insistence on going ahead with piling for a new terminal will have safety repercussions, since the beach-front [harbour mouth] is prone to tidal variations and undercurrents. Ferries will also have to vie for space with fishing vessels that berth at a refuelling facility nearby. Even worse, the terminal could seal the fate of the few Chinese fishing nets that are left on the beach,” said former Mayor K.J. Sohan, who is the convener of INTACH-Kerala.More Related News