The number of hop-on hop-off boats that ferry heritage enthusiasts to historic locales in the Muziris region is set to increase, with the Muziris Heritage Project entering into a pact with the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) to procure four more such vessels and a rescue boat.
The locales were linked by six such AC boats and five smaller ones called water taxis. The four new ones that will be procured by July will be non-AC hop-on hop-off boats, each capable of carrying 25 passengers. Their height has been reduced so that low-lying bridges do not pose a hurdle. Another order for four more boats would be placed once the new boats arrived, said P.M. Noushad, managing director of the heritage project.
The need for more boats was felt since ₹5 crore has been earmarked in the budget, mainly to impart non-formal education to schoolchildren and to drive home the point of heritage conservation. In addition, 12 of the 15 boat terminals envisaged under the project are ready, and the other three will be completed before the year-end. Moreover, visitor inflow is expected to go up in the coming months, since all monuments have been reopened in tune with the relaxation of pandemic curbs. The boats in operation at present would be improved, simultaneous with the induction of new boats, he added.
The total cost of procuring the new fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) boats is ₹3.30 crore and an agreement in this regard was inked on Wednesday by Mr. Noushad and Prasanth N., the Managing Director of KSINC. “The boats have been designed with advanced features and comfort. They will be under warranty for one year, while there would be yet another year’s Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC). The KSINC is engaged in constructing FRP boats for numerous agencies, including Kerala Tourism, DTPCs, KTDC and the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, apart from those in other States,” said Mr. Prasanth.
“Efforts are on to renovate more monuments in the heritage zone. In addition, we are gearing up for the fourth edition of the annual kayaking event, that is scheduled to be held on February 12 and 13, to highlight among other issues the need to protect waterbodies,” said Mr. Noushad.
Cruise connectivity
Officials of the KSINC and the heritage project are also learnt to have arrived at a consensus on Nefertiti, KSINC’s cruise ship, operating monthly trips to the terminal near Marthoma Church located in the heritage zone. The Kochi-Muziris cruise can be covered in 90 minutes.
