The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the High Level Committee headed by the District Collector appointed to tackle flooding in the city to look into the blocks in the Perandoor Canal at Kammattippadam and Kallupalam near Konthuruthy and clear them.
Justice Devan Ramachandran issued the directive when a case relating to removal of waste from the Thevara-Perandoor canal came up for hearing.
In a report given to the High Court, K.T. Nisar Ahammed, member secretary, Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KELSA) and head of the High Court-appointed monitoring committee which inspected the Perandoor Canal, submitted that at Kammattippadam, railway line had been laid across the canal. There was only a small passage of about one-metre width below the railway line, blocking the flow of water in the canal. Besides, at Kallupalam where the Konthuruthy river joins Perandoor Canal, silts had been accumulated at the mouth of the river joining the canal. A bridge was constructed near the site in such a manner that flow of water was obstructed. There was a reduction of the width of the canal as well. Moreover, sewage outlets from the nearby buildings were emptied into the canal.
The report also pointed out that the Kochi Corporation had also encroached on the canal at the Thevara market near Pandit Karuppan Road by constructing a road. The committee also noticed that most of the sewage outlets of buildings at Panampilly Nagar were also emptied into the canal. The report also pointed out that no period cleaning of the canal had been undertaken.