THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:The spotlight is on Amayizhanjan canal. Snaking underneath the many networks of roads in the city is the Amayizhanjan canal. Clogged to the brim with waste of all kinds, the canal is pushed to its limits, with the water flow being disrupted, reaching a level of stagnation. When it pours, it fails to flow with ease, overburdened by the filth of the city residents. And so every time it rains, it floods, a norm in Thampanoor since the past few years.
Operation Anantha launched a few years ago proved a respite, but despite the many measures, Thampanoor continues to be a stretch which is one of the waterlogging hotspots in the city. The S S Kovil Road in Thampanoor continues to be inundated, as was noted during the heavy downpour last day. Major projects to address both these issues are on the anvil. The city corporation hopes to start these as soon as the monsoon gets over. But what continues to worry the authorities is that even if these issues are addressed, the continued lack of civic sense among the public could wreck the fruits of labour.
“A major mission to clean the Amayizhanjan canal is set to be launched after the monsoon. In fact, several measures to clean it was undertaken in the last few years but people continue to throw waste, thwarting every effort taken,” says Mayor V K Prasanth. “As such, we intend to launch a cleanup mission with the involvement of the public and other agencies in the lines of the Killiyar rejuvenation programme. The intention of bringing the public into the fold is to ensure that it prevents them from dumping the waste in the canal,” he says.
A campaign to prevent the dumping of waste will be launched along with this, lest the cause gets defeated.
Even after installing fencing, placement of cameras and deputing people to prevent the dumping of waste in the canal, the issues haven’t been sorted out. An issue the corporation battles is the dumping of waste by unauthorised personnel who collect waste from residential areas. “A large section of people are involved in collecting waste from different residential areas. They dump the waste in the canal. Although we did give a proposal to include them in the corporation’s sanitation team, they were not willing to join. They get more remuneration this way and they dump the waste collected in the canal. We are trying to bring a check to this,” the Mayor added.
“What needs to be addressed is the free flow of the stormwater. Only if that is ensured can the water logging issues be sorted out,” said Thampanoor Councillor M V Jayalekshmi. “Levying fines on those who dump the waste is not enough. Only if legal proceedings are initiated upon them can we put a check to this,” she added. “Fencing has to be done and several suggestions in the second phase of Operation Anantha has to be implemented. Even though we set up fencing in certain areas, people have made holes in the retaining wall to put the waste in. Unless the public changes the littering of the canal, the issue will continue,” she added