HC directs authorities to complete Mullassery Canal work in three months

Kerala High Court orders completion of Mullassery Canal restoration within three months to address Kochi waterlogging issue.

The Kerala High Court has directed the authorities to complete the restoration work of Mullassery Canal within three months, failing which the ‘court would have to summon the District Collector’.

The court was considering petitions seeking measures to address waterlogging in Kochi during the rainy season. It observed orally that the monsoon would commence in three months and that the restoration work must be completed before then. On its part, the State government submitted that it would present a concrete decision on the issue by the next posting date.

The court also sought details regarding the removal of sediments that had created a ‘temporary bund’ in the Periyar at Vaduthala, obstructing water flow. The petitioners submitted news reports that referred to the government mulling extraction of soil from the bund for developing the Thuravur-Paravur NH corridor. Subsequently, the court impleaded the Project Director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in the petition and adjourned the matter to next week. The court further suggested that the NHAI’s counsel discuss the issue with the State.

A meeting chaired in January by Mayor M. Anilkumar and attended by District Collector N.S.K. Umesh had taken stock of Operation Breakthrough, a project aimed at resolving inundation in Kochi city, and issued an ultimatum to the Irrigation department to complete the Mullassery canal restoration work by June.

The schedule of works till May was also approved at the meeting, which expressed dissatisfaction over the delay on the part of the department in completing the restoration process, which had been on for the past three years. Furthermore, a directive was issued to the department to avoid further delay.