Thiruvananthapuram: Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, which had demanded that coastal regulation zone along Killi and Karamana rivers be reduced, might just be ready for a rethink, if only the state government asks it to. Mayor V.K. Prasanth told DC that they were waiting for the state government to prepare a post-flood policy on various projects.
“The Corporation has not yet started thinking about those policies. But, as soon as we get a clear idea of how the state government intends to reshape its policies, we will start discussions on the same,” he said.
It was in May during a public hearing on the 2011 CRZ notification that the corporation wanted Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) to limit the CRZ to 50 metres along Killi and Karamana rivers. They had then argued that DTPC had a scheme which allowed construction as close as 50 metres from the rivers, and KCZMA should allow this for all residents.
However, one of the challenges if the corporation were to rethink of its CRZ policy will be the rehabilitation of people by the side of various water bodies. “Rehabilitation of people to more elevated areas will be challenging in Thiruvananthapuram. Before we convince people to move, we will have to identify land. We have major constraints there,” said Mr Prasanth.
The mayor said that Thiruvananthapuram was not as badly affected in the flood. However most areas in Thiruvananthapuram city adversely affected by the rains were close to Killi river, Karamana river and Thettiyar canal. Some of these areas like Jagathy Bund Road as well as Nalpathadipalam have been waterlogged, earlier too, but the water level has never been this high, according to testimonies of residents. Thiruvananthapuram received 13.5 centimetres of rain on August 15, according to Mr Prasanth.
The corporation will be holding discussions with the Irrigation department to increase the depth of its canals. “Removing the blocks in canals will ensure a smoother flow and reduce situations that lead to flooding,” he said
