The nearly two-km-long Goshree-Chathiath walkway, which has turned into a hotspot for walkers in the city, continues to be marred by dumping of waste along some of its reaches.
The walkway also lacks shady trees as several trees have withered or have been felled.
Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA), which built and maintains the walkway, planned to plant more trees during the monsoon as there was the problem of salinity intrusion during dry weather, said an official.
He said people had been warned against dumping waste along the road but nothing appeared to deter them from doing so.
The city authorities have placed a board banning dumping of waste in the area. The official said it might not be possible to keep the walkway clean without posting a watchman there.
GIDA was not responsible for the removal of waste from the site, he said, adding, the Kochi Corporation had been cleaning the area regularly only to find waste being dumped there again.
The authority plans to extend the black top road to the spot where waste heaps have sprung up to prevent further problems. However, the official said, the place would have to be cleaned up first.
The proposal for extending the Goshree-Chathiath Road beyond the Chathiath church has remained on the back burner, with some expressing the opinion that the reach between Chathiath and Vaduthala was too thickly populated.
Corporation council member Delina Pinheiro of Pacchalam said the plan had not been abandoned and the road would be extended from Chathiath to Chittoor along the backwaters. She said there were a lot of encroachments in the reach and they had to be cleared to pave the way for the new road.
Once commissioned, the Goshree-Chathitath Road will help decongest Kacherippady-Chittoor Road as traffic can be diverted via the new road.
