KOTTAYAM: As the recent spell of heavy rains and flash floods submerged major towns and low-lying areas across Central Travancore districts, the disaster has reignited the debate over restoring the natural flow and flood-carrying capacity of rivers in the state.
While a section of people called for the deepening of riverbeds to ensure free flow of water and mitigate flooding, river conservationists have opposed the proposal.
They contend that deepening rivers alone will not reduce flood risk unless measures are taken to restore the rivers’ natural flood-carrying capacity by reclaiming tributaries, protecting floodplains and removing encroachments in watershed areas.
The discussions gained momentum after flash floods triggered by overnight rain inundated major towns in Central Travancore, including Ranni, Erattupetta and Pala a few days ago.
According to river conservationists, giving more room to rivers does not mean deepening their channels, but restoring their tributaries, reclaiming natural floodplains, and removing encroachments from watershed areas to improve the rivers’ natural flow and flood-carrying capacity.
“The main cause of flooding is the lack of space for a river to absorb the rainwater that reaches it at once. Instead of deepening the river, preserving its width and floodplain is more important in preventing flooding,” pointed out Maju Puthenkandam, an environmentalist, in his FB post.
S Ramachandran, president of Meenachil River Protection Council, said numerous check dams and unchecked encroachments in the upstream stretches of Meenachil river, from Pala to Erattupetta, have obstructed the natural flow of water and contributed to flooding in both towns.
On the other hand, local stakeholders contend that the ban on sand mining has reduced the rivers’ carrying capacity by allowing silt and sand to accumulate on the riverbed. “As a result, water breaches the banks, causing floods,” said N K Kurian, environmentalist and agricultural entrepreneur.