The straightening of the Thevara-Perandoor (TP) canal at the triangular crossing of the railway near the Ernakulam South railway station should be taken up on priority basis for averting flooding in the Kammattipadam area of the Kochi Corporation, according to the Irrigation department.
The straightening of the canal will help the Corporation tackle the flood situation better as the canal will carry away significant quantities of floodwaters. The rapid urbanisation has badly affected the drainage system at Kammattipadam as natural drains in the region have been destroyed. Buildings have been constructed in such a way that the entire drainage system in the area has been blocked, according to the detailed project report (DPR).
Shifting of pipelines from the bed of the TP canal, extension of the drain from Kammattipadom to the canal for a length of 150 metres, reconstruction of the TP canal and the culvert below AL Jacob flyover, and dismantling of the ring bund across the canal have also been proposed.
The Kammattipadom project will cost around ₹3.6 crore. The funds for the project will be released from the ₹10 crore allotted for Operation Breakthrough, the flood mitigation project. The Irrigation department will implement the project in consultation with various agencies including the Kochi Corporation, said R. Baji Chandran, Superintending Engineer, Minor Irrigation Central Circle, Kakkanad, who led the investigation and survey for the project.
The reconstruction of the bridge across TP canal near the Mullassery Canal Junction and the construction of a sluice with a shutter at the inlet of Kammattipadam drain near the Mullassery canal have to be undertaken under the project. The de-silting of the entire canal stretch should also be accorded priority, the report noted.
A meeting convened by the District Collector to review the progress of Operation Breakthrough the other day had decided to take up the Kammattipadam project as the fourth stage of the flood mitigation project.
Engineers have suggested that all the listed activities of the project will have to be carried out simultaneously to prevent further damage to the environment.
