With the introduction of the new ‘Monsoon preparedness and emergency response plan’ by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), all local bodies in the State are required to keep main watercourses and drains free of hindrances during the monsoon.
This is to be done in consultation with the Soil Survey and Conservation Department and the Irrigation Department, according to guidelines issued this year as a sub-plan to the revised standard operating procedures for disaster management in the State.
Acknowledging the fact that proper waste disposal is key to keeping the canals open and free from pollution, the city Corporation had embarked upon a programme to streamline waste collection and disposal, Deputy Mayor Rakhi Ravikumar said.
“At present, unauthorised people are collecting waste from houses and apartments and dumping them into the canals. We have adopted measures to put a stop to it. We have empanelled waste disposal agencies, for instance. They alone have the right to collect wastes. There is a strong need for awareness in this regard,” Ms Ravikumar said. Towards establishing a proper waste management regime, the Corporation also launched a ward-level survey to determine how the wastes were being disposed off locally, she added. The Corporation had recently launched a ₹50 lakh project for cleaning up the Amayizhanjan Canal at Thampanoor. This project was under way, she added.
Over the years, several studies on stormwater drainage and the waterlogging situation in the city have drawn attention to the need to desilt the canals and drains at least twice a year. Experts have also underlined the need to curb encroachments, prepare a GIS-based database on canals and drains and, most of all, to ensure public participation in the upkeep of the city’s internal waterways.