THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the monsoon set for an early arrival, the state capital finds itself highly vulnerable to waterlogging and flash floods as pre-monsoon sanitation drives by key departments are yet to take off.
A month after Mayor V V Rajesh launched the corporation’s sanitation drive at the Pazhavangadi Thodu, a heavily clogged canal network that poses severe flood threat to Thampanoor and East Fort, little progress has been made on the ground by either the civic body or the irrigation department.
The minor irrigation department, the official custodian of the city’s canal networks, is yet to begin its operations. Adding to the issue, the corporation, which had initially volunteered to clear the bottlenecks, has reportedly backed out. It is learnt that the government approved Rs 64 lakh to the irrigation department for the drive only a few days ago, leaving very little time before the rains hit.
Last month, the mayor reviewed the condition of the canal near Pazhavangadi temple and announced the corporation would undertake large-scale desilting and waste removal to improve water flow. However, department officials allege it was merely a token exercise.
“The corporation removed just a couple of buckets of waste and publicised it as if the entire canal was being cleaned. Beyond that, no meaningful work has happened,” an irrigation department official said.
The department had prepared estimates for the cleaning of major water bodies, including Pazhavangadi Thodu, Thekkanakkara Canal and Ulloor Thodu. Officials said the corporation had indicated it would execute the work if granted a no-objection certificate (NOC). “We had no objection. Our only concern was that the canals should be cleaned before the rains, regardless of which agency carried out the work,” the official added.
However, the corporation has taken a U-turn from its stand.
Rajesh said the corporation only volunteered for tasks within its limits. “We can only undertake work that can be managed using our own resources. Larger canal cleaning operations fall under the purview of government departments and must be taken up by competent agencies.”
“Ideally, these works should have been completed earlier, but delays are common in government procedures. Even if the rains begin, these works can still be undertaken, and the approved funds can be utilised to clear blockages,” he said.
He said the corporation has successfully completed ward-level sanitation drives across all 101 wards. “We have started releasing additional funds for wards that requested it. The work will be completed before the monsoon sets in fully.”
