Corpn to expedite desilting, weeding of canals to stave off flooding

Special Correspondent

KOCHI

A meeting of the Kochi Corporation on Monday decided that drains and canals would be desilted and cleared of weeds and water hyacinth in the wake of waterlogging experienced in some areas in the city in the recent downpour.

The vicinity of Changampuzha park metro station in Edappally witnessed waterlogging on Sunday evening during the summer showers. By Monday, it was reduced to a puddle, however. (Source: Special Arrangement)

Agreements have been entered into with contractors for carrying out the work. This work, done generally in May as part of pre-monsoon preparedness, is aimed at preventing floods in low-lying parts of the city. In addition, teams have been deployed to execute speedy remedial measures in case flooding was reported from any division, official sources said.

There was little flooding in the city during the 2021 monsoon and in subsequent rain, thanks to the efforts by corporation and Irrigation Department. Works done as part of Operation Breakthrough phases one and two also paid dividends, they said.

Drains to be set right

With a portion of the newly-renovated Synagogue Lane in Mattancherry getting inundated in summer showers that lashed the district on Monday evening, steps will be taken to lay bigger gratings and to increase their number on the heritage street, so that rain water percolates into the drain, CSML sources said.

This comes in the wake of complaints from people of the locality of the lurking danger of rain water entering their shops and houses, what with the street’s level being raised as part of its renovation works. Taha Ibrahim, who has a tailor shop on the street, said that parts of the heritage lane getting affected by water logging in Sunday’s average downpour was proof of the inadequacy of newly-laid drains. “Water would have entered buildings on either side had we not opened the slabs of power-supply manholes. There was rarely any fear of water entering buildings earlier since the street level was half a foot below the level of houses. This was raised as part of renovation work,” he said.

Referring to the non-functioning of a few of the recently erected street lights in the area following the rain, Mr. Ibrahim expressed the fear of the possible leakage of electricity in case of heavy rainfall. He attributed this to their boxes being laid beneath the road level, instead of being above its level.

Sources in CSML said the boxes would be made water-proof shortly to prevent incursion of water. They were placed below the ground level since it was a narrow street, they said.