Unchecked encroachment remains a hurdle to restoring Kochi canals

Edappally, Thevara-Perandoor canals to be restored to original width and condition

Unchecked encroachment remains a bottleneck in the restoration of the Edappally and Thevara-Perandoor canals in the city.

The action plan submitted by the joint committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for the rejuvenation of the canals took note of the issue of encroachment. However, the report submitted in the first week of August has not mentioned the timeline for identifying and clearing the encroachment. “Large number of encroachments are seen along both sides of the canal[s], which act not only as sources of faecal contamination but result in decreasing the width of the canal, thereby leading to clogging and hindering free flow of water,” it said.

Quoting the Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System (IURWTS) for rejuvenation of major canals in the city, the report stated that the canals would be restored to their original width and condition by desilting and clearing obstructions or encroachment and improving the canal system by constructing side-walls and levelling up as found necessary considering the tidal variation.

However, the time schedule of the action plan has not outlined the strategy to identify and remove the encroachments while it pointed out that the outlets discharging sewage into the canals will be shut down by June 15, 2022. A sanitation survey is progressing to identify illegal outlets from households and commercial establishments.

Studies conducted by the Cochin University of Science and Technology had found that the unscientific land development projects reduced the water holding capacity of the canals. The construction of apartments, business establishments, and houses near the canal over the last several years had resulted in the shrinking width of the canals, it said.

A report prepared by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre had stated that the encroachments were threatening to make the Edappally canal non-navigable. The width of both the canals is only around 10 metres in various spots, owing to the encroachment, against the original width ranging between 45 metres to 60 metres.

Mayor M. Anilkumar said a decision had already been taken to rejuvenate the Thevara-Perandoor canal under the IURWTS with the available minimum width. The role of the Kochi Corporation was to ensure penal and other measures to check pollution of the canals, he said.