The monsoon is not here yet, and the Mavoor road in front of the mofussil bus stand in the city is already waterlogged. It was to tackle the regular flooding of the road during monsoon that the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation spent Rs.15 crore for a storm water drain that passes under the road. But the flooding on Tuesday night, as a result of the first heavy rain this summer, puts a question mark on the effectiveness of the drainage system, though it is yet to be completed.
Work on the storm water drainage system undertaken by the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) is in its final phase, with one more road to be completed. However, it was the constant waterlogging near the bus stand that had prompted the Corporation to envisage the project. It took the KSUDP more than two years to complete the construction of the drains around the bus stand, which includes the stretches between Kairali Theatre and Focus Mall, bus stand and Chemmanur Jewellery, and Fathima Hospital and Azhakodi temple.
The junction was partially blocked in April for almost a month to construct the connection between the separate pipelines. The drainage system has been connected to the existing drain under the Nayanar Flyover so that the water could be discharged into Conolly Canal near Arayadathupalam.
Drainage blocked
KSUDP project manager K. Mohan told The Hindu that the connection work with the existing drain has just been completed near RP Mall and the drainage has been blocked for curing. “It was this block that resulted in the flooding of the road on Tuesday night. Once the block is removed, there will not be any more flooding,” he said adding that it would take another week before the block is removed.
Mr. Mohan also pointed out that the flow of water in the drains heavily depended on the tide and the water level in Conolly Canal.
The storm water drain became necessary as the 50-year-old existing drainage in the city is unable to handle all the water during monsoon. The new pipelines being laid as part of the project were designed in consultation with the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management and have enough capacity to accommodate the water.
Drainage has been blocked for curing and once the block is removed, there will not be any more flooding in the city, says KSUDP project manager
