Op Breakthrough gets off the blocks

Two-member team to inspect flood-hit areas in city today; their suggestions to be submitted to technical committee tomorrow

The flooded KSRTC bus stand on October 21 | file pic

KOCHI: The ambitious project to resolve the waterlogging issue in Kochi gets off the starting blocks with two-member technical teams comprising an assistant engineer and an overseer scheduled to inspect the flood-affected areas in Kochi corporation limits on Thursday. The team will submit suggestions for a comprehensive action plan for Operation Breakthrough based on their findings after the inspection.   

According to District Collector S Suhas, the plan is to commence the programme on January 1, 2020. 
“The project will be completed within three months as directed by the chief minister,” he said. The technical committee meeting which was called by the collector on Wednesday decided to categorise the affected areas into 27 divisions. 

“Technical teams will collect the details regarding waterlogging from the residents. They will assess the major causes of inundation in each area and will submit the remedial solutions to the technical committee on Friday. We will be finalising the estimate for the project by November 26,” said Suhas.

Ninety officials from 13 government departments will be part of the exercise. The technical committee will check the practicality of the suggestions made by the teams and submit the report to the District Disaster Management Authority. A technical committee comprising 13 executive engineers will be coordinating the project. 

Besides studying the issues related to the drain networks in the affected areas, the teams will also assess ways to improve the flow of water in the major canals on the lines of Operation Anantha.Earlier, 2,153 people including 329 children had to be shifted from their homes to 11 relief camps during the waterlogging which took the city by surprise on October 21. The Kerala High Court directed the state government to constitute a high-level committee headed by the Ernakulam Collector to address the issue. 

Operation Breakthrough
Duration: 90 days
Proposed period: 
Jan 1 to March 31 
Participants: 90 officers from 13 departments 
Agencies: Kochi corporation secretary, fire force, police, KMRL, CIAL, KSEB, KWA, Cochin Port Trust, Pollution Control Board and Railways
Worst-affected locations
KSRTC bus stand
South railway station
P&T Colony
Udaya Colony
Ayyappankavu
Kaloor
Edappally
Canals to be de-clogged
Mullassery
Thevara-Perandoor 
Market Road 
Chilavannoor 
Edappally