KOCHI: People of Kochi have been left bemused as the monsoon continues to play peekaboo. Last week the city received some sustained showers, characteristic of the season. A constant bane of the city, however, was missing: waterlogging. But Kochiites certainly did not miss it. Despite considerable downpours for four to five days, major parts of the city did not get inundated. Even MG Road, one of the first areas in the city to get waterlogged, remained unclogged.
It was a welcome relief, and even High Court judge Devan Ramachandran gave the corporation and the district administration a pat on their backs. Well, widespread public criticism and stingers from the court seem to have yielded positive results.
One primary reason was the timely cleaning of drains using modern machines and regular follow-ups. Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar, however, admits that it’s too early to celebrate.
Criticisms led to effective work
“The corporation’s efforts have paid off. This time, preventive measures were taken to avoid waterlogging at areas near MG Road, South metro station, etc.,” notes Ajith Kumar of Ernakulam District Residents’ Association Apex Council (EDRAAC).
“Last year, almost the whole stretch, including the area near the south metro station, was inundated. The High Court’s involvement in the matter has helped to an extent.”
What was done right?
The corporation learnt lessons from past mistakes. “We carried out the pre-monsoon drive much earlier than usual,” says Anilkumar.
A new jetting-cum-suction recycler machine was introduced this time for cleaning drains. “This helped tackle the waterlogging issue on MG Road to some extent,” adds the mayor.
“We had also taken stringent action on eateries for dumping food waste into drains.” Currently, the corporation is planning to procure a smaller jetting-cum-suction machine to clean narrow drains, a silt-pusher for cleaning canals, and an amphibian unit to clean the canal mouths.
“These three machines will bring more relief. However, the complete implementation of Operation Breakthrough will be the real solution to waterlogging,” says Anilkumar, conceding that the city could see waterlogging if it receives rainfall over 100cm.
“In the past few days, we received 60–80 mm of rainfall. Our efforts did pay off to some extent. However, there is a lot more to do.” In fact, several low-lying areas did get waterlogged within minutes of rain last week. The KSRTC bus stand area, P&T Colony, Journalists’ Colony, and the North Railway Station area (up to Lisse Hospital) suffered.
“The situation in these areas can be changed only after the effective implementation of the Operation Breakthrough project,” the mayor reiterates.
Rehabilitation of P&T Colony
It’s been yet another forlorn period of monsoon maladies for residents of the P&T colony situated near Kadavanthra, along the Perandoor canal. The GCDA had promised to relocate them to new houses before the monsoon. However, the deadline was missed, leaving the residents helpless.
“Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan laid the foundation stone of the promised apartment complex in July 2018,” says Asha Shinu, a resident of P&T Colony. “It’s been five years, and we are still living in this condition. The water started to enter our houses in the past few days.”
Meanwhile, the GCDA, which is the implementing agency of the LIFE Mission housing project at Mundamveli, maintains that the residents of the colony will be rehabilitated by August. The mayor, too, assures “the housing project will be completed soon, and the residents of the P&T Colony will be shifted in a month”.
Govt sanctions Rs 36 crore for Operation Breakthrough
The Kerala government sanctioned Rs 36 crore for the flood mitigation project, as the administration and local bodies were found to be utilising the fund effectively. “Waterlogging will be solved once the fourth phase of the project is completed,” says Anilkumar.
He highlights the cases of areas near the KSRTC bus stand and the Ernakulam Junction railway station. “These are low-lying areas situated near the Mullassery and Perandoor canals, so waterlogging is a usual affair,” says Anilkumar.
“The renovation work on the Mullassery canal under the flood-mitigation relief work near the KSRTC stand has progressed only 25 per cent. Efforts are on to complete the project at the earliest.”
Anilkumar adds that the Operation Breakthrough project includes some points highlighted in a study-based report on flood prevention compiled years ago.
One key suggestion that has been taken up is to have more channels from MG Road to the west of the city to drain rainwater into the backwaters. “Furthermore, the state government has approved Rs 19.5 crore for constructing new drainage from Ernakulam Junction railway station to the Vembanad lake via Jos Junction; Rs 4.5 crore for controlling waterlogging at High Court Junction; Rs 2.5 crore for removing waterlogging in the Kammattipadam area behind the KSRTC bus stand; and Rs 9.5 crore for renovating the Thevara-Perandoor canal,” the mayor says.
In the second phase of Operation Breakthrough, 17 works worth Rs 9.14 crore have been completed, and in the third phase, six works worth Rs 11.89 crore, including the renovation of the Mullassery Canal, have been undertaken by the irrigation department. So far, Rs 10 crore has been approved for these activities from the Smart City project.
Got it right
Tackling waterlogging via WhatsApp
To address waterlogging and enhance flood monitoring, a dedicated WhatsApp group comprising officials, including the district collector, amicus curiae, and other key stakeholders has been created. With an initial strength of 16 members, the group serves as an interactive platform for sharing information, providing updates on Operation Breakthrough projects, and fostering discussions.
“The group serves as a forum for members to express concerns and issues, ensuring they are duly conveyed to relevant officials,” says Ajith Kumar, who represents Ernakulam District Residents’ Association Apex Council.
Kerala Merchants’ Chamber secretary Manoj Kumar says the group has decided to involve engineers also. “One plan is to dig slurry pits in the canals using metal traps to collect floating wastes such as plastic bottles, polythene bags, and others. These pits will have to be cleaned regularly,” he adds.