KOCHI: Kerala High Court directed the corporation to file a report regarding the steps taken for maintaining the Perandoor canal for ensuring its free flow. Justice Devan Ramachandran issued the directive when a case relating to the prevention of flooding in the city came up.
The corporation submitted that an engineer had been deputed for the maintenance and that the engineer and his team will ensure that it was kept free of obstacles in the future.The court also directed the corporation to make available the list of persons who had been allowed to occupy the areas over the slabs of Mullassery Canal. It was pointed out that the rejuvenation of the Mullassery canal was being done under the third phase of “Operation Breakthrough.
Though the work was on, its progress was slow because of various reasons including the setting up of shops over the canal by shopkeepers and vendors. They had not yet been relocated.The corporation submitted that the stakeholders were working in unison and several alternatives were considered for relocating them.The district administration submitted that multiple areas have been considered, for relocating the business presence on the ‘Mullassery Canal’.
A concrete proposal will be submitted before the court in this regard.The court further stated that a city, which is below sea level, will need immense efforts to avoid instances of flooding like the one witnessed in 2018.