THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made a site visit on Wednesday to study the progress of the Clean Parvathy-Puthanar initiative.
Accompanied by Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas and Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran, the CM reviewed the progress in garbage removal on the stretch near the international terminal of the Thiruvananthapuram airport. The man-made Parvathy-Puthanar is being cleaned up as part of developing the 600-km national waterway from Kovalam to Kasargod.
In the first phase, weeds and garbage that have accumulated in the canal are being removed. The tourism potential of Thiruvananthapuram will increase once this canal is fully cleaned and made navigable, said Thomas. In subsequent phases, steps will be taken to prevent the dumping of waste into the canal.
The Parvathy-Puthanar canal was built in the 18th and 19th centuries as a water route linking Thiruvananthapuram with Kollam and beyond by interlinking the Kadinamkulam lake, Vamanapuram river and Ashtamudi lake with man-made canals. The canal had fallen into disuse with the development of road and rail transport. Today, the Parvathy-Puthanar remains one of the most polluted water bodies in the state. The state has sought Central support for developing the north-south waterway. The Centre has adopted a positive stance, said Thomas. The government will also implement a practical project to stop the dumping of sewage into the canal, he said.