“Heavy rains during the main monsoon season have always been our nightmare. But now, we live in fear even when there is a moderate shower in Kerala,” says Sajitha, a resident of P and T Colony, which is situated along the banks of Thevara-Perandoor canal in Kochi, Ernakulam district. Sajitha is not just talking about the water that inundates her house when it rains; her concern is over the putrid, black polluted water from the Thevara-Perandoor canal, which the rains bring to the surface.
It was only a few weeks ago that the Kerala High Court termed this canal as the ‘lifeline of Kochi’ as it is responsible for controlling waterlogging in the city.
The 10.5-kilometre canal — starting from Thevara and ending at Perandoor in Vaduthala — passes right through the centre of the city, covering prime and thickly populated places such as Panampilly Nagar, Kadavanthra and Kaloor. It also passes adjacent through the Ernakulam Junction Railway Station and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (Kerala RTC) bus stand.
Like Sajitha, there are hundreds of families residing along the canal who are affected by the state of the water body — the flow of water is obstructed due to silt and water hyacinth in several stretches; sewage pipes remain exposed; and earlier, garbage was being dumped into the canal.
As a result, the canal has been causing recurrent waterlogging in the city. In fact, Justice Devan Ramachandran had recently observed that Kochi witnessed massive waterlogging solely because of the condition of Thevara-Perandoor canal.
How 10-metre wide water canal shrunk
There was once a time when the Thevara-Perandoor canal was used by people in the region for navigation, transportation of goods, irrigation and even fishing.
The canal starts as a wide stretch, more than 10 metres in width, which ensures a steady and healthy flow of water. But as it traverses a few kilometres, the canal sees a visible change towards Panampilly Nagar area, which is considered a posh locality in Kochi.
The width the canal has gradually decreases by a couple of metres and even the flow of the water body reduces.
Going ahead a few kilometres further, the canal near the Ernakulam Junction Railway station or near the Kerala RTC bus stand stretch becomes almost unrecognisable. The Thevara-Perandoor canal at this stretch shrinks to the size of a drain and the colour of the water body, which once had a shade of dark olive green, is now black.
Hundreds of sewage pipelines, both visible and dug deep, open into the canal.
It is around this region that P and T Colony, Kammattippadam, Udaya colony and other residential areas are located. A spell of heavy rain can inundate the houses of families living in these regions.
A survey along the whole stretch of the canal by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), revealed massive encroachments over the years, especially along the mid-way. “This is the portion lying close to the city centre and here, the canal has been reduced to a few metres, resembling a drain. This is the main reason behind waterlogging in the city,” an official who was part of a study told TNM.
The Kerala High Court has severely criticised the Kochi Corporation, the local body in the region, over the prevailing condition of the canal. Though the local body noted that they had installed fencing along the banks of the canal in some stretches, the effectiveness of this was questioned by the court. While fencing only prevented people from throwing garbage, the problem of hundreds of sewage outlets being kept open in the canal is yet to be resolved.
Incidentally, it is not just the ill maintenance of the canal or the rampant encroachments that have rendered the canal ineffective. The residents living in the area also have an equal share in turning the canal into a rancid pit by polluting it with garbage and sewage pipelines. Though at present, there is a strict check on people dumping solid garbage into the canal, the problem of raw sewage disposal is yet to be eliminated.
Efforts to revive canal
In an effort to revive the polluted canals in Kochi, as part of addressing the city’s waterlogging, the Ernakulam district administration has decided to implement a project to clean the canals. An amount of Rs 10 crore has been allotted for the project, which will be implemented under the supervision of the District Disaster Management Authority. Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will also be part of the project.
The High Court has also directed the local body to submit a monthly report regarding the steps taken to protect the Thevara-Perandoor canal.
According to the district administration, a team of experts will be formed for more studies on the issue. The team will be formed under the aegis of Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). Apart from Thevara-Perandoor, the Mulassery and Edapally canal, too, will be cleaned as part of the project.
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