Waterlogging in city not as severe as ’19, justify officials

Kochi: A meeting convened by agriculture minister V S Sunilkumar, on Thursday, for mitigating the

waterlogging

issues in the city decided to take urgent steps in this regard. Immediate

measures

will be taken for ensuring smooth flow of water from Thevara-Perandoor canal into the backwaters.

The meeting ascertained the major reason for waterlogging in many parts of the city like Kammattipadam, Gandhi Nagar, Kadavanthra and Vaduthala was obstruction in the flow of water from Thevara-Perandoor canal into backwaters. It was decided that funds required for carrying out the work in this regard could be availed from Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut).

If additional funds are required, the district administration would mobilise it. The Rs 16-crore project work for beautification and desilting of Thevara-Perandoor canal which started two years ago is yet to be completed.

The meeting also decided to identify reasons for waterlogging on MG Road and Ravipuram areas. Reduced width of Changadampokku thodu which passes through the KSEB premises in Kaloor caused waterlogging in the area. Hence, urgent steps need to be taken for widening the canal. Therefore, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd has been asked ensure proper connectivity between Changadampokku thodu and Karanakkodam thodu. During Kochi Metro work, the part which passed beneath the road connecting Changadampokku thodu and Karanakkodam thodu was reclaimed. Despite repeated instructions for restoring the connectivity, KMRL had just laid a pipe culvert for the purpose. Proper flow of water through both canals could be ensured only if a box culvert with proper width is laid. So, the KMRL should construct box culverts for purpose, it was told.

While MPs Hibi Eden and M Swaraj attended the meeting through videoconferencing, MLAs P T Thomas and T J Vinod, mayor Soumini Jain, collector S Suhas, deputy collector Vrinda Devi, Operation Breakthrough technical committee chairman Baji Chandran and other officials attended the meeting in person.

Those who attended the meeting aired the views that the gravity of waterlogging in the city following Wednesday’s rain was less compared to the one on October 21, 2019. Work done as part of Operation Breakthrough has yielded results, they said adding that water started flowing into the backwaters through various canals once the rain subsided. This happened because of desilting and widening of various canals and drains, participants of the meeting said.