The city Corporation is coordinating with various departments to step up the long-delayed construction of the stormwater drainage at the SS Kovil Road at Thampanoor.
Even as the rest of Thampanoor witnessed less flooding in recent times following Operation Anantha, the stretch along the S.S. Kovil road continued to be a headache for the civic authorities.
Work on a stormwater drainage system under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) project of the civic body began here a few months ago.
Slow progress
But progress has been slow due to the technical difficulties in shifting utility lines. The topography of the place also added to the difficulty.
On Tuesday, a review meeting was held at the Corporation to assess the progress of the work.
Reason for delay
“One of the reasons for the delay is because we need to shift the cables of the KSEB and the BSNL. The topography is such that much of the water from the main road near Sreekumar Theatre, which is at a higher level, would flow into SS Kovil road, which is located at a much lower level. So, the issue will not be solved with just the construction of a stormwater drainage. We have to raise the height of the SS Kovil Road, which is under the Public Works Department (PWD),” said a Corporation official.
On Wednesday morning, city Corporation Mayor V.K. Prasanth visited the area to assess the work in the presence of officials of various departments and the contractor.
“As part of the pre-monsoon cleaning activity, we had cleared up the sewage lines, which ensured that there won’t be much flooding in any part of the city. Even after major rains, the water now drains off in less than two hours. But the SS Kovil road has remained a problem. The work on the drains here have got delayed for one reason or another. Now, our plan is to get it completed within one and a half months,” said Mr. Prasanth.
Meeting called
The Corporation has called a meeting of the various departments on Friday to discuss the things to be done on priority to finish the work.
The flood mitigation work at the SS Kovil Road, which was included in the first phase of Operation Anantha and for which an amount of ₹3.9 crore was allocated, could not take off, as the attempts to convert a part of the Manjalikkulam ground into a rainwater pond failed.
