THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Residents near the Valiyakulam canal at Thaliyal see no end to their worries. The canal, which is part of the Karamana river, passes through residential areas in Kalady, Thiruvananthapuram, including Thaliyal. During rains, the water level in the river rises, flooding the houses.
“We have knocked on every door to sort out the issue. Water frequently enters the houses as it’s a low-lying area. Also, as the canal is in the downstream region, waste thrown into the river accumulates in our area,” said S Kuppuswamy, a resident who had given a petition to the State Human Rights Commission to resolve the issue.
Thaliyal also lacks an efficient drainage. Waste is thrown into the canal. The accumulated waste and water are a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The previous monsoon season saw several residents suffering from dengue fever.“Though there is a waste disposal agency, some residents say they aren’t financially sound to pay C250 to the agency to collect waste. The corporation also collects waste,” said Kuppuswamy.
Many projects have been conceived to rejuvenate the canal, which falls under the Minor Irrigation Department, since 2016, but none of them has borne results. “There are encroachment issues here. We will also need a large fund to rejuvenate this canal,” said a minor irrigation official. The department had earlier prepared a project for cleaning the canal with an estimated budget of Rs 11.6 lakh which hasn’t taken place yet.
Projects in vain
Many projects have been conceived to rejuvenate the canal, which falls under the Minor Irrigation
Department, since 2016, but none of them has borne results. The department had earlier prepared a project for cleaning the canal which hasn’t taken place yet.