The Revenue Department has launched new river protection and rejuvenation schemes at a cost of Rs.31 crore across the State, Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash has said.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, the Minister said the projects included bridges, check-dams, and riverbank protection walls, besides setting up a State River Institute in Ernakulam.
The decision to spend Rs.31 crore from the River Management Fund for executing various river protection and rejuvenating schemes was taken at a meeting chaired by the Minister on Friday.
Mr. Prakash said a private company, Ingril Solutions, has been entrusted with the task of preparing study reports on the construction of new bridges at Kaippattoor, Thrippara, Chittoorkadavu, and Chittoormukku in Pathanamthitta district, Arumanur and Chavittuvelikkadau in Kottayam, Peringalamkadavu in Monrothuruthu panchayat in Kollam, Modavannakkadavu in Malappuram, and Peretupuzha in Kannur. He said Rs.2.76 crore has been sanctioned for constructing three check-dams in Pathanamthitta and Malappuram.
He said Rs.8.24 crore has been sanctioned for riverbank protection walls. He said the proposed river research institute would be the first of its kind in the State and Rs.10 crore has been set apart for this project.
Fund allocationThe fund allocation from the River Management Fund for river protection in various districts are as follows: Thiruvananthapuram: Rs.86 lakh, Kollam: Rs.165.35 lakh, Pathanamthitta: Rs.374.5 lakh, Alappuzha: Rs.15 lakh, Ernakulam: Rs.7 crore, Malappuram: Rs.367.5 lakh, Kozhikode: Rs.87.1 lakh, and Kasaragod: Rs.216.5 lakh.
The Minister said all the projects with the River Management Fund should be completed in a time span of two years and those failing to complete with in this time-frame would be cancelled.
Mr. Prakash said the government had received a report on river-sand auditing carried out by the River Management Committee.
