The Cabinet on Wednesday sanctioned Rs.21.72 crore for work on preventing water-logging at Thampanoor here.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the media after the Cabinet meeting that a bypass drain to carry floodwaters would be built from Thampanoor to the eastern side of the Uppilammoodu Bridge to supplement the capacity of the existing canal. The Chief Secretary would directly oversee the work with a view to ensure its completion before May 2014. The Kerala Road Fund Board would be in charge of the work.
The Chief Minister said that the Cabinet had earlier asked the Chief Secretary to prepare a report on measures needed to check flooding of the city centre. He had suggested that the project could be undertaken under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, and funding was being granted under the scheme.
Mr. Chandy recalled that the Centre had sanctioned a project for storm water drainage in the city in 2009. A total of Rs.10 crore had been sanctioned then for a culvert across the railway line, Rs. 93 lakh for a drain at Pazhavangadi and Rs.11.89 crore for construction of a breakwater at Veli. However, the City Corporation had failed to make use of the funds.
He said that tenders had been awarded for national highway bypasses in Thiruvananthapuram (widening), Alappuzha and Kollam. The government had reviewed the progress of National Highway development. It was found that progress was affected along stretches where land could not be acquired. So, the District Collectors had been asked to undertake negotiated purchase for early acquisition of land. To avoid delay, market prices would be paid to the owners.
