Fort Kochi:As Fort Kochi prepares for a season of art, celebration and global attention through the Kochi Muziris Biennale, the carnival and New Year festivities, its historic beach tells a far less festive story of neglect, waste and decay.

Visitors arriving at Fort Kochi are now being greeted by the distressing sight of a beach strewn with waste and stagnant pools of dirty water. The situation has left many visitors, including foreign tourists who come to catch a glimpse of this famed destination, deeply disappointed.

At the centre of the beach, seawater has collected in large puddles, emitting a foul stench that has spread across the area. Visitors strolling along the granite stone paved promenade are often forced to cover their noses as they pass through the stretch due to the unbearable odour. All four breakwaters constructed as part of beach conservation efforts now lie damaged.

Several years ago, Fort Kochi beach served as the venue for major New Year festivities, including the burning of the Papanji effigy and  bike races. Today, much of that space has been reclaimed by the sea while no concrete steps appear to have been initiated to protect the remaining stretch of the beach.

The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that tourists are reluctant even to set foot on the beach here. Aam Aadmi Party state secretary Sakeer Ali has written to the Chief Minister, urging immediate intervention to restore and conserve Fort Kochi beach.