With monsoon fast approaching, the Irrigation Department is on a race to finish the desilting of the Canoli canal.
The historically-important Canoli canal, which has been lying abandoned for ages, got a fresh lease of life when its desilting began in January this year.
The authorities have planned to complete the work by the end of May 31, before the monsoon, which may hamper the cleaning process.
Although the cleaning between Sarovaram and Karaparamba was the most difficult and delayed, nearly 70 per cent of the desilting is complete.
The team is currently at Eranhikkal, building protection walls on either sides of the canal. Around 480 m out of the 607 m-long side walls has been completed.
The immediate step after the cleaning process will be to send notices to all those who are involved in littering the canal, says C Ajayan, assistant engineer, Irrigation Department, Kozhikode.
“It is impossible to find out who is letting in the waste since they connect their waste to the Corporation's drainage system. Seventy drains are connected to the canal from various parts of the city. But we believe that a major part of the waste is let in by hospitals,“ he explains.
The department had to face a number of practical difficulties when it came to cleaning the canal, mostly because none of the drains connected to the canal has any silt traps or gratings which play a major role in filtering the waste. Silt traps are used to separate silt from the waste water before it enters the infiltration system. By the time the waste water reaches the canal only a small amount of silt will be left, which will make it easier to clean the canal in the future. Grating is a net like cover which will help filter the floating waste.“
The absence of these is a major drawback in the drainage system connecting Canoli canal. After the cleaning we have decided to approach the Corporation to cooperate with us in building these silt traps after the cleaning process. Building of these traps requires land and the Irrigation Department does not have any land of its own,” says the officer.
Though the contract period for cleaning the canal extends after May, the department is in full swing to finish it before time.
