The Punnapra North grama panchayat has taken up a project to conserve waterbodies in the panchayat.
Works are being carried out under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to clean canals leading to large waterbodies. About 60 workers are taking part in the ongoing project of cleaning canals at Vadackal. Efforts are under way to increase the depth of the canals, where stretches have gone dry. About 2,000 work days could be provided to the workers under the project, said V.M. Johnkutty, a panchayat councillor associated with the work.
The scheme is envisaged to make use of the water that gets wasted in the monsoon season. Nearby areas will be saved from waterlogging while water will flow into a waterbody nearby.
The increased flow will result in a larger quantity of water in the waterbodies, strengthening the groundwater table, he said. Over the years, the water level became inadequate for the boats. The canals were being encroached upon and the present step could stop the activity, he said.
