KOCHI: The effects of global warming are becoming evident in Kochi with many areas witnessing incursion of water during high tide. For residents, who had to tackle waterlogging only during the monsoon till recently, it has now become a year-long ordeal
The problem started a year ago,” says Arun R, who owns a shop on Ponneth Temple Road at Kadavanthra. “We never had waterlogging problems. But now during high tides, water overflows from the drains, onto the roads. This happens even when the sun is out,” he says.According to Arun, the situation is quite similar at Netaji Road that runs parallel to Ponneth Road. “We had approached our councillor and the Kochi Corporation seeking a solution. However, we are yet to receive any response,” he said.
Alosh B, a resident of Ponneth Temple Road, said blocked drains and canals may also be the reason for this. “When the water rises in Chilavanoor Lake during high tide, the blocked drains force water out on to the roads,” he says. He, like many others, wonder, if this is the condition now, what would it be like when the monsoon starts. “The houses which are located in the low-lying areas will be inundated,”
he adds.
Expert study needed, says Mayor
According to Mayor Anil Kumar, the corporation alone can’t come up with a solution. “It is a major issue which has cropped up due to climate change. Hence, we will have to study it in detail before arriving at a solution,” he says. The mayor added that experts in global warming and town planning need to sit together and formulate a plan to mitigate the problem. “This is going to be a huge crisis in the future,” he says.
“It is not just Ponneth Temple Road’s problem. The ward that I represent is also facing similar issues,” said the mayor, who got the bank of a canal raised after a breach during monsoon. “But that is just a temporary solution,” he added.
According to him, the high tide problem has become very severe. “I had approached the Department of Town and Country Planning regarding this. We will need a complete overhaul of the canal and drain network in the city,” he says.
For this, the mayor sought the finance ministry’s help in securing assistance from the Netherlands, a country with expertise in handling such emergencies. “All that now hinges on which government comes to power,” he says, adding that destruction of wetland areas in and around the city may also have contributed to this.