The delay in the completion of the demolition work on the Mattancherry Jetty buildings is irking commuters

Residents, traders, and tourists have been disembarking from boats at the Customs Jetty in Fort Kochi to reach their places in Mattancherry for the past six years due to the delay in the excavation of the Mattancherry Jetty. | Photo Credit: H. Vibhu

The West Kochi Passengers’ Association has requested the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), seeking the attention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the excessive delay of the Irrigation department in reducing the area of ​​Mattancherry Jetty, which has resulted in boats from Kochi country not being able to drive to the Jetty since 2018.

Boats from mainland Kochi would have resumed operations at Mattancherry years ago but for the ‘negligence and indifference’ shown by the Ministry of Tourism in washing the newly renovated aircraft buildings. This has also hampered plans by the National Water Transport Department (SWTD) to resume ferrying people to the densely populated area, said MM Abbas, president of the association, in a letter.

On the other hand, the Irrigation department cannot even confirm the deadline for completion of the extraction work. This raises the question of whether the door contractor is delaying the work because he wants more money to do the work. The SWTD in charge of the jet should also have intervened in the matter. It seems that a section of politicians in the district is trying to stop the resumption of ferry service to Mattancherry, he added.

The SWTD jetty near the upcoming Kochi water metro jetty is historic and is said to be one of the oldest jetties in Kerala. It provided a direct waterway connection from the region to the mainland. SWTD boats called the jetty until 2018, when a flood allegedly caused silt to accumulate in the channel leading to the jetty, endangering the safety of the boats.

Expressing concern over the delay in excavation, SWTD officials said they have set aside a boat to operate in the tunnel and installed rubber bars at the railway station to accommodate boats safely. “The Department of Irrigation must complete the cutting and inform us about it so that boats can be planted on the route where there is a great need, since the road is also very long and crowded with countless bridges trapped in bottles.”

The Mattancherry Water Metro Action Council was also on the warpath, demanding immediate completion of the station’s demolition. It has pointed out how residents, traders, and tourists have to disembark from boats at the Customs Jetty in Fort Kochi and walk or take vehicles to reach their destination in Mattancherry for the past seven years. The delay has also affected the number of tourists visiting Mattancherry, it said.

Sources in the Irrigation Department said that the contractor entrusted with the felling failed to do so, even though February was set as the revised deadline.