Recurring floods have made life tough for people living along the banks of the Karippel canal in Ambedkar ward of Cherthala South grama panchayat.
The recent spell of rain has brought misery to around 100 families after the canal overflowed and inundated houses. "Floods have become a recurring phenomenon here. Earlier, the place got flooded only during the monsoon season. Now even the summer rain is causing the inundation," said Sonu R., a local resident.
The residents have blamed the choked canal for the flooding of the area. Once a navigable waterway and a source of water for irrigating vast paddy fields in the area, the 12-km-long Karippel canal has lost its glory due to encroachment and waste dumping. The canal had a width of 85 metres. But encroachments have reduced its width in many places to a mere 6 metres.
A couple of years ago, a government-funded project was launched to bring the age-old canal back to life. As part of it, the silt and waste accumulated were removed from the waterbody. The canal was also deepened to ensure the free flow of water. But residents said that lack of maintenance and failure to remove encroachments had resulted in no meaningful changes.
"The canal remains stagnant. There is no free flow of water. At present water in the canal flows only to the Andhakaranazhi spillway, while all its tributaries are clogged," said Mr. Sonu.
Meanwhile, authorities said that arrangements were in place to shift people from the banks of the canal should the need arise.
