THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As an initial step to include Parvathy Puthanar into proposed state waterway, the survey has been completed on the man-made water body that runs parallel to National Highway 66. Though survey in city area was completed early itself, the boundary stones could be fully laid only by Friday in an attempt to avoid resistance from encroachers. “Over 2,000 encroachments were detected on the bank of man-made river. Of this around 1,200 encroachments were under Muttathara village area. In other villages between 25 and 75 encroachments were found,” said a senior officer. The encroachments included three four-storey buildings, political party offices and huts. In the first phase, banks of Parvathy Puthanar on the 18km stretch between Kovalam and Akkulam were surveyed. The encroachments were found at Muttathara, Pettah, Kadakampally and Attipra.
“Since resurvey had not happened in Muttathara, Pettah, it was hard to spot encroachments. Hence survey took a lot of time and upto 28 surveyors were engaged in work. Many of the old documents were missing,” the officials said. In the second phase, 34km long canal from Akkulam to Varkala was surveyed. Several encroachments were found at Menamkulam, Kadinamkulam and Veyiloor villages also. “Throughout the Kovalam-Varkala stretch, encroachers had title deeds. Once they are evicted, the canal has adequate width of over 14 metres required for Travancore-Shornur state water way,” official said. The government will have to now decide the acquisition and eviction plans to make the canal navigable, said Collector S Venkatesapathy.
