The District River Protection Committee has cautioned that if constant vigil is not kept, all efforts put into the cleaning of Conolly Canal over the past few months will go waste.
A team of observers under the committee has noted that polluted water continues to be emptied into the canal at many parts of the waterbody.
Four observers of the committee had visited different parts of the canal over four to five days in the previous week, and found that the water in the canal was clean from Eranhikal to Sarovaram Biopark, but it is polluted from there onwards up to Kallai.
“Water in the canal is clean where it passes through residential areas. But as it enters the non-residential areas, it is black in colour,” said Faisal Pallikkandy, secretary of the committee.
The observers have found that drains from the city have been opened into the canal at many places.
“They have kept the opening below the water level so that nobody knows when they pump the water into the canal,” Mr. Pallikkandy said. He added that waste water from eateries and hotels from as far as the KSRTC bus terminus had been emptied into the canal through underground drains.
“The Corporation has created awareness among residents, and has even warned some to ensure that waste is not deposited into the canal again. But rules have been bent for influential people,” he alleged.
Efforts of around 5,000 volunteers over two months went into the cleaning up of Conolly Canal. Several committees have been formed to ensure its upkeep.
“The Corporation should take stringent action against the violators or else, Conolly Canal will return to its previous state within a year,” Mr. Pallikkandy added. He also alleged that the authorities have not covered up drainage mouths with net so far. “Some drains have been closed using concrete by the local sector committees,” he said.
Film to be screened
Disha, a short film on the Operation Conolly Canal project, will be screened at Sarovaram Biopark at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan will release the film on YouTube on the occasion.