The district administration on Tuesday informed the Kerala High Court that the Mullassery canal had to be renovated at the earliest to avoid waterlogging at the KSRTC bus stand, Karikkamuri road, Kammattipadam and Southern Railway station.
In his report submitted in the High Court, District Collector S. Suhas said there was obstruction to the flow of water due to the level of difference between Mullassery canal and the Thevara Perandoor canal. The reconstruction of Mullassery canal was proposed to be done under Operation Breakthrough. The work could not be completed before the onset of the monsoon because of the lockdown. The works could be completed post-monsoon if fund were made available.
The report said it was the responsibility of the corporation for the upkeep of the the roadside drains to ensure free flow of water to the main canals. The flooding at Ravipuram and M.G. Road near Central Square took place due to the obstruction in the road side drains. However, all the canals which were included in the Operation Breakthrough project saw the flow of water into the backwaters. The stretch between the Perandoor Railway bridge and the backwaters had to be cleared to ensure that the water from the Perandoor canal reached the backwaters without any obstruction to avoid water-logging in Panampilly Nagar, Udaya Colony,Kamattipadam, and P and T Colony.
The link canals originating from Antlatics Hotel to Vaduthala leading to the backwaters had to be immediately opened to ensure that water-logging did not occur in areas near Ravipuram, Pallimukku, M.G. Road, Town Hall, and Vaduthala. Besides, road side drain cleaning work from M.G.Road to Ravipuram should be done on a water-footing.
The report also said that the corporation should not promote bad level concreting over the canal with concrete slabs which leads to reducing the canal size as well as the flow through the canals. This type of activities could not maintain the drainage system properly.