KOCHI:vTo address the waterlogging issue, the city corporation has decided to borrow advanced machinery from the Kochi airport to remove the silt and sludge from major canals. Mayor M Anilkumar announced the decision at the council meeting on Wednesday. According to an irrigation department official, the work to desilt the mouth of the Perandoor Canal will start on Thursday morning.
“It is impossible to solve the waterlogging issue in the city overnight. The irrigation department is working on a detailed plan, and the cleaning of canals is in progress. The city is not expected to experience severe flooding once the third phase of the Operation Breakthrough project is completed,” the mayor said.
The meeting began with the councillors raising complaints regarding the waterlogging witnessed over the past few weeks. Opposition leader Antony Kureethara and fellow councillors M G Aristotle and Antony Painuthara were among those who questioned the effectiveness of ‘Operation Breakthrough’ and other projects undertaken by the corporation in each division, spending crores of rupees. In response, the mayor said the unprecedented rain the city received for several hours made things difficult for the public.
“A key point that needs to be stressed is, though many areas were flooded, the water started to receding quickly after it stopped raining. It is a result of the Operation Breakthrough project headed by irrigation department engineer Biji Chandran,” Anilkumar said.
He said most of the canals are filled with waste, and there will be a relief from severe flooding once the waste is removed. “Also, new canals that will divert water to the western side, into the Mullassery canal and the backwaters, need to be constructed,” he said. The mayor expressed faith in the work headed by Biji Chandran.
“His scientific approach to the problem has proved fruitful. He had said that the flow of water to the eastern side should be restricted. Hence, a slope was created to divert excess water to the western side. Thus, some areas in the city did not face severe flooding,” he added. The council meeting also saw Padmaja S Menon, of the BJP, taking oath as the new councillor for the Ernakulam South division, after having won the recent byelection.