With a new council set to assume charge in the Kochi Corporation in Kerala on the cusp of a new year, people from various walks of life shared the challenges before it and the potential it could build on to develop the city.
Opinions ranged from outright criticism to cautious optimism, and concerns about the lack of clarity on the direction Kochi city should adopt for future development.
Former Mayor K. J. Sohan said Kochi lacked the “fundamentals” essential for any city’s survival. Despite being a “city on water,” he observed that people are still deprived of drinking water, while only 5% of the city is covered by a sewage network.
“As per the Corporation’s own report, 80% of the city’s groundwater remains contaminated. Despite being ideally placed to set a global model in integrated public transport, Kochi lacks one. This city was built by cargo and people who arrived by waterways and has access to three national waterways. The Water Metro, meant to be a public transport system, has become a luxury unaffordable to common commuters, while the State Water Transport department remains overlooked,” he said.
Stress on transport
