The Chinese bet on the Chinese fishing nets of Fort Kochi last July had sent the State Department of Tourism into a tizzy, forcing the announcement of a project for renovation and restoration of the hard-to-maintain contraptions that have come to define the bustling shores of West Kochi.
The support pledged by a visiting Chinese delegation was the proverbial last straw for the State, which suddenly woke up to the strategic significance of the harbour and committed Rs 1.57 crore for the restoration of these nets to their past glory.
The pace of the announcement, it later turned out, was in stark contrast to action, rather the lack of it, on ground. Ironically, the project that was fast-tracked after court intervention, hasn’t moved an inch ever since.
Consultancy firm Kitco, which was roped in to layout the restoration plan under Cochin Heritage Zone Conservation Society’s oversight, was awarded an initial grant of around Rs. 76 lakh to firm up the layout plan for the restoration work and identify the right kind of material.
The over five-centuries old cantilever fishing devices had been originally set up using a teak wood platform with a clutch of bamboo poles erected on it.
Over time, non-availability and cost of teak forced several net owners to look for cheaper options like steel pipes in place of teak.
Ideally, teak grown on rocky surface is suited for structural work of Chinese nets located on the harbour, where they are to withstand heavy currents in different directions unlike the ones deployed along the still backwaters, points out Mr. Antony.
Now, the restoration plan envisaged reversing the structural frame of the nets to its original material of teak and bamboo combine for durability, cost-effective maintenance and aesthetic appeal, he adds. “But the project has been in limbo, with Kitco and the Heritage Zone Conservation Society apparently failing to deliver,” admits tourism director P.I. Sheikh Pareed.
“Forest department’s permission could not be obtained for procurement of right quality teak. But that’s a silly excuse,” he says.
Meanwhile, Mr. Antony says he’ll move court all over again unless restoration work gets under way before January.
