KOCHI: Much to the relief of city residents, Kochi Corporation has decided to speed up its pre-monsoon drain cleaning and canal renovation works. To avoid waterlogging issues that have been occurring during the past few monsoons, the municipal body is preparing for massive cleaning drives across all divisions of Kochi.
According to Corporation officials, a sum of Rs 3 lakh has been allotted for smaller canals and Rs 5 lakh for larger canals. An additional Rs 1 lakh has been allocated for renovating minor canals across all divisions.
As the election fervour is finally over, the corporation is aiming to complete the works by mid-May. “We have started drainage cleaning across all divisions. Despite the unexpected summer showers, there was no case of water inundation. We are going to take it further by cleaning larger canals,” said Sunitha Dixon, chairperson of works standing committee, Kochi Corporation.
The renovation work of canals like the Thevara-Perandoor canal and Rameswaram Canal is expected to begin by next week. “We have completed the tendering works and are hoping to start the removal of weeds from these canals,” she added. Meanwhile, the tendering process for small-scale works is underway. “A few works are yet to be added to tender. So, we have decided to approach the mayor to get anticipatory approval to start the works with immediate effect,” Sunitha said.
Earlier, the Thevara-Perandoor canal had undergone a cleaning drive as part of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) programme. Following the verdict of the High Court, iron fences have been erected on both sides of the canal to restrict waste dumping. Apart from these measures, a detailed survey is being conducted in each division with the support of respective councillors to address further requirements in each area. “If some division requires a motor pump or petti and para in drainage canals, we will allocate the funds accordingly,” added Nixon.
Slush to the Brahmapuram
Instead of the usual practice of depositing the waste to nearby areas, the Corporation has decided to shift the slush to the Brahmapuram plan after cleaning the drains. “We have instructed our contractors to remove the waste material from the drains. The public can report to their respective councillors if waste is left unattended on roads,” said Dixon.
RESIDENTS HAPPY WITH THE MOVES
Hailing it as a sensible decision, many residents who have been affected by the waterlogging has welcomed the preparatory works. “It’s good to see that officials have learned from their past mistakes and are preparing in advance. We had a harrowing experience in the monsoons of both 2019 and 2020. We hope these cleaning drives would avert another tragedy this time,” said Mohammed Hakkim, a resident of Elamakkara.
In full swing
Rs 3 lakh for smaller canals
Rs 5 lakh for larger canals
Rs 1 lakh for renovating minor canals