The long-awaited renovation of 11 Chinese fishing nets that dot the Fort Kochi beachfront has been set in motion.
The ₹2.44-crore project of Kerala Tourism to renovate the cantilever nets that are said to have been brought here by the Portuguese had been caught in red tape for over five years.
The ferrying of 220 teak logs from the forests to Fort Kochi earlier this year brought solace to fishermen, who had been forced to rely on steel pipes to support the nets due to non-availability of lengthy teak logs. This had caused concern among tourists who arrived in Fort Kochi primarily to view the nets being pulled by around half a dozen fishermen.
Antony and Franklin, fishermen who operated Paalam Vala, the eighth in the row of nets that adorned the beach, said they were forced to rely on their own funds due to the State government’s delay in disbursement of remuneration for workers who were engaged in renovating the nets. “We, however, hope to install our net by Tuesday and hope the others will follow suit.”
Sources in Kitco, which had been tasked with executing the nets renovation project, said they hoped the government would clear bills worth ₹7.50 lakh to be disbursed among fishermen who were engaged in the renovation work. “The pending work on the iconic nets can be completed in two months’ time if the bills are cleared.”
The number of Chinese nets on the beach had dwindled from two dozen to 11 during the past two decades due to slack upkeep and depletion of fish catch. Kerala Tourism had handed over funds to Kitco to purchase the logs and restore the nets that had over time become a tourist attraction. The enthusiastic among travellers would often join half-a-dozen fishermen who pulled the massive nets.
The net operators have been tasked with erecting the wooden logs and joining them together, based on a court order.
