With work under way to renovate the Marine Drive walkway, and the once popular beachfront walkways in Fort Kochi and Puthuvype in a state of disrepair, Kochiites are taking to new and well-maintained walkways to exercise and unwind.
On the occasion of World Tourism Day, city residents, tourism and civic stakeholders spoke on the potential that walkways hold to de-stress people, especially in the pandemic situation, and the efforts being taken to spruce up ill-maintained ones.
The newly-built Avenue Walkway that begins in front of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) and ends at the Mattancherry BOT Bridge is emerging as a hub for families wanting to unwind. The Cochin Port Trust built it, using Central tourism funds. Among those who frequent the stretch are Vishnu Venugopal and his wife Akhila.
‘Safe and well-lit’
“The walkway’s main attraction is that it is very scenic, abutting the backwaters and located well away from the city. With it being spacious, visitors can do jogging, walking or bicycling on the lengthy stretch. It is also safe and well lit, so much so that guests can be seen at 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. The availability of adequate parking space makes it very convenient for city dwellers,” said Mr. Venugopal.
The Queen’s Walkway on Chathiath Road is among the few other well-maintained ones in the city.
The walkway around Durbar Hall Ground, located in the heart of the city and which was renovated twice during the past 18 years and still cries for upkeep, is symbolic of the plight of most walkways in the city.
Maintained by the Ernakulam District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), people used to throng the ground and the walkway till a few years ago. Now, damaged portions of the walkway and ill-lit areas make people think twice before venturing there.
Repair work
The piecemeal repair work was not durable and the premises had to be fully renovated, said DTPC sources. This is mainly because it is tough to get replacement for the small tiles that were used to pave the walkway. Repair works are now being done using cement. “We plan to replace the tiles with natural stone tiles the coming fiscal,” they added.
The agency further evinced interest in taking over renovation and upkeep of the damaged walkway at Puthuvype.
