THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As yet another monsoon season approaches, the silt-choked Akkulam lake continues to pose flood threat to the capital city. Despite repeated incidents, the long-pending rejuvenation of the lake — a vital component of the city’s stormwater drainage network — remains indefinitely stalled.
The lake, which has been rapidly shrinking due to silt accumulation, has lost much of its capacity to retain stormwater during heavy rain, leading to flooding across the city. Experts have cited the deteriorating state of the lake as a key reason behind the recurring urban flooding, particularly during intense rainfall.
An ambitious Rs 96-crore rejuvenation project intended to revive the lake remains stuck, with the Tourism Department deciding to initiate a re-tender for its implementation.
Harilal V, environment subject committee member of Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP), said that the state government should take immediate measures to protect the lake, which is dwindling rapidly because of encroachment. “The State Wetland Authority of India (SWAK) apart from making a proposal has not taken any effort to notify the lake to ensure its protection. A committee should be formed with various departments to protect the lake.
Focusing just on tourism will not help and the rejuvenation project should be implemented with the participation of all departments concerned,” said Harilal V. The state cabinet approved the revised estimates of the project back in August 2022. The plan is to implement the project under Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (DBOT) model. WAPCOS Ltd has been roped in as the special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the project that aims to restore the lost glory of the lake.
Initially, Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board had allotted Rs 64.13 crore for the project, but the contractor who won the bid had demanded Rs 125 crore which was reduced further to Rs 96 crore after negotiations.
An official of the Tourism Department said that the contractor roped in for the implementation of the project was found to be ineligible and the meeting chaired by the chief minister decided to go for a re-tender.
“We have sent the proposal to the law department to check the legalities involved while going for a re-tender. They will be sending it to the cabinet again for approval,” said the official.
The lake has been witnessing rampant encroachment and CRZ violations. According to studies, the lake area has come down by 31.06% since 1942 and by 9.86% in the last five years. As per the resurvey carried out a few years ago, the lake is spread over 64 hectares. The detailed project report was prepared by the Translational Research and Professional Leadership Centre (TPLC) under the Government Barton Hill Engineering College.