After years-long delay, the authorities have finally floated a tender for the work on the Water Metro terminal at Mattancherry.
The leaders of action council for Mattancherry Water Metro Terminal had held talks with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking that the terminal should be constructed at the earliest. “It was on September 8 that we met the chief minister. He promised us that the work will start soon. We are happy to hear that the Metro authorities have floated the tender,” said Arafath Nasar, secretary of the action council.
The Metro authorities had entrusted a contractor with the construction of the terminal in 2019. As per the agreement, the construction was to be completed by March 2021. However, the work couldn’t even be started by the completion deadline and the contract was terminated.
The construction of the Water Metro terminal is expected to give a push to the tourism sector in Mattancherry which is one of the most important tourist destinations in the state. Tourists from many parts of the globe arrive in Mattancherry to visit various prominent locations like the synagogue.
“A corridor connecting the Water Metro stations in Mattancherry and Fort Kochi should be constructed. It will be an added attraction for tourists. It will help development of both Mattancherry and Fort Kochi,” said K J Sohan, former mayor.
Meanwhile, the state water transport department (SWTD) is yet to complete the renovation of its boat jetty in Mattancherry. The services to this jetty were suspended following the 2018 floods. The reason cited was the sedimentation of silt in the boat channels.
