Thiruvananthapuram: The unfenced Kannettumukku canal continues to be a threat to motorists. The lack of slabs over the canal make entry to houses a tightrope walk for many residents. It has been nearly a year since the face lifting of irrigation controlled canal began on Kuthiralayam road, Kannettumukku began. The slabs were replaced with wooden logs and sidewalls were removed to strengthen the retaining wall. However, they were not replaced yet.
Meanwhile, the monsoon has intensified turning the canal into a gushing stream and the slabs have not arrived. The sidewall also remains incomplete threatening vehicles that often squeeze past the canal. “There are workshops and houses here. Bikes are taken in and out on wooden planks. It’s densely populated with the presence of migrant worker population. Things can go wrong if the canal is not protected,” said Suresh Kumar a local resident.
The work to revitalise the canal began with funds from the corporation and legislator V. Sivakumar. The water from Vazhuthacaud-Jagathy side gushes into the canal which passes through Kurukkuvilakonam before ending at Killiyaar. In May, a man had lost his life in a similar location at Kuravankonam as slabs were not constructed over open drain. “The slabs will be complete in few weeks. We have already covered few areas near mounted police base at Kannettumukku,” said a corporation official.
