Fort Kochi to get a clean, beautiful look

Fort Kochi might soon be a clean and hygienic paradise, with beautiful sidewalks and zero garbage!   The Kochi Corporation and the Tourism Department in association with the Kudumbashree Mission are  all set to launch the ‘Zero Waste Fort Kochi - Tourist Destination Project’ at Fort Kochi.   The project will be launched on Friday at a meeting to be held at the Santacruz Basilica Parish Hall, Fort Kochi.   The project aims at the overall tourism development of Fort Kochi and Fort Kochi Veli areas through better solid waste management. Decentralised waste management and general beautification of the area will be the focus of the project.    The Department of Tourism has pledged `43 lakh for the project which is to be implemented with the active cooperation of  various stakeholders, including the Kochi Corporation, residential associations, home stays, hoteliers and NGOs.    “The project is being implemented as a part of the Department of Tourism’s ‘Clean Destination Project,” District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) Secretary Shine said. The implementation of the project will transform Fort Kochi into a much cleaner and more beautiful destination, Kochi Corporation Development Committee chairman and councillor of Fort Kochi Veli K J Sohan said.  Kudumbashree, the implementing agency, has prepared elaborate plans for the project. Apart from decentralised management of biodegradable waste in the area, a system to manage the huge amount of waste, and re-cycling of various types of waste are being planned as a part of the project.The Kudumbashree Mission envisages seven employment generating schemes from the project. An employment generating activity of making handicraft out of coconut shells, a paper recycling project, a collection centre for re-usable items, a non-plastic manufacturing unit using clothes, paala (arecanut leaf) and grass,  a maintenance unit which provides the service of skilled labourers like masons, plumbers and electricians, a vermi-compost making unit, and a gardening and beautification unit to beautify the roadsides and walkways.  The Kudumbashree Mission is planning to implement the project in a phased manner in a year or two. The falling of shade trees and branches, which is another problem in the area, might also be solved as the Kudumbashree Mission is  planning to buy the necessary equipment to prune and maintain the shade trees and employ skilled people to manage it, as a part of the project. The falling of huge branches of big shade trees in various parts of Fort Kochi recently had caused much damage to shops, houses and electric posts.