When rain picks up, vehicular and pedestrian movement along the metro rail stretches may become difficult as the routes are likely to be inundated.
The warning comes from the civic authorities who are finding it difficult to undo the damage caused to the drain system following metro work in the city.
Workers engaged by the metro authorities have drained slurry containing chemicals into the canals, which have hardened in due course.
The thick cake-like materials have choked the drains along the stretch.
‘Unresolved’Though the issue was brought to the notice of the metro authorities, it remained unresolved, said Soumini Jain, chairperson of the works standing committee of the Kochi Corporation.
The Rs. 1 crore allotted by the metro authorities for clearing the blockade and repairing the drainage system was inadequate.
The holes on the slabs covering the drains, which used to trap the floodwater from the roads, were blocked in the process.
Drilling of holes might take time and the areas were likely to experience flooding, she said.
Allegations deniedMs. Jain denied allegations raised by Opposition councillors that cleaning of drains was not complete in the city. CPI (M) councillors, K.N. Sunilkumar and M. Anilkumar, had complained that the work was incomplete and the city would experience heavy flooding when monsoon intensified. The authorities could not fully clean major canals including the Thevara Perandoor Canal, Mr. Anilkumar said.
Responding to the allegation, Ms. Jain said the contractors were revisiting the reaches of the canal to clear the refuse that had flowed in after the initial cleaning work.
The TP canal was divided into six reaches and cleaned simultaneously. The cleaned areas had to be repeatedly cleaned for removing waste and ensuring free flow of water, she said.
Barring a few drains, cleaning and de-silting of all small drains in all the corporation divisions were completed, she said.
