The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will lend a helping hand to the Kochi Corporation to carry out the pre-monsoon cleaning works of the major canals and drains in the city. The decision was taken at a meeting convened by Mayor Tony Chammany at his chamber on Friday, which was attended by representatives of the KMRL and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).The meeting discussed the need for constructing a new canal at Ernakulam North. “The water tap of the Kerala Water Authority at Ernakulam North needs to be replaced as it will block the flow of water from the proposed canal. This will lead to water logging at Ernakulam Junction.
A special team led by the Mayor and consisting of representatives of the KMRL, the DMRC and the Water Authority will visit the site on Monday morning to conduct an inspection in connection with the replacement of the water tap,” according to a release issued by the Corporation here. Earlier in the meeting, the Corporation councillors said that some of the major canals in the city have been clogged due to the discharge of mud, sand and other debris from the Metro Rail work sites into them.
“The water flow to the Edappally to Kaloor stretch, M G Road, Panampilly Nagar junction and the area near the GCDA office, Kadavanthra, have been affected. In some areas, the canals have been covered with concrete slabs so as to enable traffic flow. However,since most of the blockades are caused due to the Metro works, the Corporation has requested the KMRL to help clean the Canals,” the release stated.