At Rs 5cr, Kodappamund channel to be desilted

Udhagamandalam: The project of desilting the Kodappamund channel, a natural waterway running through the town and joining the lake, was launched on Wednesday by the Ooty municipality. A sum of Rs 5 crore has been sanctioned by the government for the project to cover the Kodappamund channel so as to prevent it from pollution.
The pristine water body channelizes natural streams right from Upper Kodappamund and cuts through Ooty town to end at Ooty Lake. It is the main source of water for the famous lake. Of late, it was being used as a dumping point by several merchants, residents and tourists. The open channel that runs for about 3.5km is now filled with silt and garbage, apart from sewage waste.
According to environmental activists, the channel is inundated with weeds, and requires immediate de-silting. Several establishments and residences also let out untreated sewage directly into the channel, which is supposed to carry clean water to the lake. This has resulted in the Ooty lake becoming one of the most polluted water bodies in the country.
Inaugurating the project, Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya said, “The sanctioned amount of Rs 5 crore will be utilized for channelizing the stream water without pollution by covering the full stretch of the Kodappamund channel, besides replacing damaged drainage pipes and developing sewage treatment plants”.
The channel was widened and improved following the devastating floods of 1978.