Kochi: The perennial issue of water-logging in the central city areas during monsoon will be a thing of the past this year as de-silting of Mullassery canal will be taken up under the technical guidance of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation principal advisor E. Sreedharan. Pre-monsoon cleaning works will begin on Thursday and will be complete in one-and-a-half months.
“The traditional system of Pettiyum Parayum at the Mullassery canal, the de-watering tool used to pump water from low-lying areas into the backwaters, will be removed. The system will be replaced with a high capacity jet pump which will drain water from the canal to the backwaters during high tide. Once the 1.5-km canal is de-silted, water-logging on MG Road and areas near KSRTC bus station can be avoided,” said sources at the DMRC.
The cleaning will begin from the site near Children’s Park where the canal has a width of 12 metres. The city corporation had earlier decided to scrap all the Pettiyum Parayum considering the huge expenses incurred for maintaining the instruments.
The instruments installed at various canals failed in preventing flooding during monsoon.
Meanwhile, the corporation has started tendering for de-silting and cleaning of small canals and drains to save the city from water-logging. As the weathermen forecast a normal monsoon this year, unless intensive cleaning is not carried out, the city areas will be submerged during the first spell of rains.
“Tenders have been invited for cleaning small canals and drains in divisions. However, cleaning of big canals like TP canal has not been finalised yet since it requires technical sanction from the government,” said Gracy Joseph, development committee chairperson. Earlier, the civic contractors were reluctant to participate in tender procedures of pre-monsoon cleaning works. But the civic authorities through negotiations could make them undertake the work.
