Cochin International Airport Limited has said that it will protect the Chengalthodu located on the southern end of the runway and flowing in the east-west direction. A statement issued by CIAL said that the airport would also help clean up the canal.
The Chengalthodu is a key geographical feature being utilised by the airport, especially during rainy seasons to drain stormwater. The canal is a lifeline for the airport, which is situated in around 800 acres. There has been protest from a section of farmers in Nedumbassery over what they alleged was blocking of the Chengalthodu and its reclamation for CIAL’s solar power farm.
The airport authority said the canal would not be reclaimed for the solar power farm or for any diversification projects being undertaken.
The canal has been overgrown with weeds and what CIAL has done now is to clean it up and erect solar panels without blocking the flow of water. The solar panels are erected on pillars on the banks of the canal. This is for the first time in the country that such an experiment was being done, said the CIAL statement.
The airport authority said that there was no cause for anxiety that the Chengalthodu would be reclaimed or the flow of water blocked.
