The Kerala High Court has directed the Kochi Corporation to clean all drains under its jurisdiction, including that on the stretch between Providence Road Junction and Banerji Road, to ensure that there is no water blockage during monsoon.
Justice Devan Ramachandran also directed the civic body to take special care while undertaking cleaning work to ensure that pedestrian handrails and installations on footpaths over drains were not removed. He ordered their immediate repair if they are damaged during the cleaning process.
The court also directed the corporation to immediately clean the stretch of the Perandoor canal from the Perandoor bridge to the Chittoor lake as well as the stretch from the GCDA at Kadavanthra to Kammattipadam.
It asked Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) to offer its full assistance to the corporation to clean drains near the Edappally metro station, including removal of slabs and restoration of pavement tiles in case they get damaged in the process.
KMRL has been directed to place on record its proposal for constructing manholes over drains between the Edappally metro station and M.G. Road.
The court asked the State government to appoint a senior officer to synchronize the works of the corporation, KMRL, and other stakeholders as the District Collector is burdened with COVID-19 containment efforts.
The court issued the directives on a pending case relating to the cleaning of the Perandoor canal.