Vellarithodu, at Kampuram in the city, that drained excess water from different parts of the city, have now become a nightmare for the people living around it.
The canal is clogged with dirt and algae, preventing smooth flow of water. Its mouth is also blocked by a sand ridge, which adds to its misery.
The area came into sudden focus after a few suspected cases of Malaria and Dengue fever were detected among the residents here.
Health Department officials flew into action taking blood samples, depositing Guppy fishes into the wells and fogging the area to ward off the mosquitoes.
Out of control
But with the canal, with its stagnant water and dirt being a good habitat for the mosquitoes, the situation is far out of control.
The local people have submitted a petition to the district administration to clean the canal.
However, the district administration is helpless, as the canal comes under the purview of the Municipal Corporation.
Cleaning drive
The Corporation, as part of its pre-monsoon cleaning drive, had in fact cleared much of the waste from the canal but with little effect.
“The dirt dredged out of the canal has been deposited on the banks, which is likely to flow back into the canal with the next rain. The canal will overflow and flood the nearby houses and road if the rain strengthens”, said P. Peethambaran, a resident of the area.
Stinking canal
“Some of the factories at the industrial estate empty their waste into the canal. The canal stinks unbearably during summer,” said K. Sukumaran, another resident.
Ward councillor T. Sujan blamed the sand ridge formation at the mouth of the canal on the unscientific construction of the Vellayil Harbour.
Scientific
“The canal mouth was constructed in a scientific manner by the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) in 2012 in such a way that the water is not directly emptied into the sea, but with a slant towards the south to avoid the waves from depositing sand.
But with the breakwater of the harbour coming down south, the direction of the waves changed.
The mouth had water flowing out smoothly until the breakwater came up”, he said.
Flood
The councillor shared the fear that many parts of the ward will be flooded if the rains strengthened.
“The canal carries water from many wards. The people in my ward do not deposit waste into it. A few years ago, a grill was placed at the mouth of the small drains that empty into the canal to stop the solid waste coming through them. However, the grills got clogged with waste and we had to remove them ultimately”, he said.
No solution
With no viable solution to the issue coming up, the local people keep banging on one door after the other seeking help to save themselves from deadly diseases.
