Mullassery canal restoration project to miss deadline again

The ₹10-crore Mullassery canal restoration project, aimed at alleviating urban flooding, is running nearly one-and-a-half years behind schedule.

The Mullassery canal restoration work will be delayed further as it may take a few more months for work to resume.

If it was the delay in clearing sewage and water supply pipelines laid along the canal that delayed the work initially, the monsoon showers have forced the Irrigation department to put the work on hold further.

The ₹10-crore project, aimed at alleviating urban flooding, is running nearly one-and-a-half years behind schedule. The project proposes to restore the original depth and width of the entire stretch of the canal, besides levelling its floor to ensure smooth flow of floodwaters.

The Irrigation department had recently cleared the canal stretch from M.G. Road to the Kochi backwaters before the onset of the monsoon and ensured the westward flow of floodwaters. Usually, there would be heavy flooding on M.G. Road during the monsoon. The drive proved effective as no waterlogging was reported from the M.G. Road area during heavy showers, said R. Baji Chandran, superintending engineer, who is leading a team of engineers of the department for the project.

The renovation work along the Fashion Street stretch and the KSRTC bus stand area will be resumed when the monsoon recedes. The work was held up following delay in removing the supply lines laid by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) along the canal. Though the pipelines that were laid earlier have been removed and parallel lines established, some newly laid supply lines are yet to be charged. The department was waiting for the KWA to complete its job, he said.

Earthen bund also has to be created in the canal for preventing flow of water when the restoration work is on. However, stoppage of water using bund is not advisable during the monsoon as it may cause flooding. The work would resume when the weather conditions become conducive, he added.