Dredging of Kallai river likely to begin by January-end

Dredging of Kallai river in Kozhikode to remove silt and garbage, expected to begin by end of January.

The long-awaited dredging as part of the de-silting of the Kallai river in Kozhikode is expected to begin by the end of January. The Irrigation department has completed its survey to assess the amount of silt and garbage that needs to be removed. A report will be submitted to the Chief Technical Inspector by January 20.

The de-silting work began in October, but the survey took longer than expected due to the need to account for silt accumulated from two floods since 2018. The survey took about two-and-a-half months, with an estimated 3.29 lakh cubic metres of silt to be removed. The plan is to deposit the silt five kilometres away in the deep sea.

The dredging will be carried out by West Coast Dredging Company at a cost of ₹12.98 crores. It will cover 4.2 kilometres of the river, from Kaduppini in Mankavu to the river mouth in Kothi, at a depth of 2.7 metres.

The silt accumulation in the river has disrupted its natural flow, which has, in turn, affected the Conolly Canal that drains into it. The river was recently deemed the most polluted in the State, with its water blackened by industrial effluents and decaying garbage. The silt buildup is particularly noticeable during low tides. The dredging project, which aims to restore the river’s natural flow, has been in the works for decades. However, it faced delays as few companies were willing to take on the project for the offered remuneration, forcing the tender process to be repeated several times.