Kochi city to get ₹20 crore for preparing drainage master plan

National Disaster Management Authority to provide fund for project; study conducted on possible impacts of climate change in city for the next 25 years

Kochi city will get ₹20 crore for preparing a drainage master plan.

The fund will come from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The Kochi Mayor, with the support of the State government, had sought the backing of the Dutch Embassy for assessing the impact of climate change in the city.

The Embassy had deputed its Special Water Envoy to the city for a primary evaluation of the situation, said a communication issued by Mayor M. Anilkumar.

The NDMA had commissioned a study on the possible impacts of climate change in Kochi city for the next 25 years. The study was carried out by Royal HaskoningDHV, a Dutch consultancy agency.

The Mayor suggested the installation of an early warning network and a control centre for the effective handling of a disaster situation. He also suggested measures for identifying bottlenecks in the implementation of disaster mitigation measures.

The civic body had been struggling to manage floodwaters in the city. The inundation during rainy days had often brought the central business areas of the city, including M.G. Road, to a standstill.

The report prepared by the agency was discussed at a meeting attended by the Mayor, District Collector, the Water Envoy and representatives of the consultancy agency. The fund for the preparation of the drainage master plan was sanctioned on a request from the Mayor, the communication said.