THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The heavily clogged and polluted Pazhavangadi canal has left residents of the Vallakadavu and Sreevaraham areas under the grip of contagious diseases. The portion of the canal from Kothalam Bridge to Sreevaraham Bridge is filled with slaughter waste, posing serious health risks to the residents.
The city corporation and the major irrigation department responsible for the cleaning activities are yet to take any measures to clean up the canal ahead of the summer. In the recent rains after Attukal pongala, many houses in the area were inundated by polluted water and garbage from the overflowing canal.
Despite fencing, people are illegally dumping tonnes of waste into the canal. Vallakadavu ward councillor Shajida Nazar said garbage and slaughter waste from the Amayizhanchan canal is getting choked in the region.
“We have raised the issue with the authorities many times. Even recently, after the flooding, we took it up with the corporation and the authorities concerned but no action has been taken yet,” said Shajida. She said tonnes of garbage has accumulated under the bridges causing flooding in the region.
According to residents, this year no clean up activities were undertaken. “Every year before pongala, the corporation removes garbage from this area — which is a hotspot for waste accumulation.
This year nothing has happened, and the residents are under the grip of contagious diseases like dengue and chikungunya. Mosquito menace is very high in the region and many are down with fever and dengue,” said Manoj L, a local resident.
It is learned that the canal carries the entire garbage from the city to the Parvathy Puthanar. Recently, the coastal shipping and inland navigation department has launched cleaning up activities of the Parvathy Puthanar near Vallakadavu. But inaction from the major irrigation department is causing issues to the cleaning activities.
An official of the coastal shipping and inland navigation department said that there is no point in cleaning up the Parvathy Puthanar without cleaning up the canal networks. “All these canals Thettiyar, Amayizhanchan and Pazhavangadi join the Parvathy Puthanar. No matter how many times we clean up, the entire waste gets flowed into the canal.