Pandarachira canal in West Kochi to be restored with international funding
The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) South Asia and Swiss Re will jointly implement the project. The Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance has agreed to fund the project through grants. The move comes close on the heels of criticism that canals in West Kochi were overlooked under the Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System (IURWTS), a project to restore six critical canals in Kochi.
A plant to treat wastewater draining into the Pandarachira canal has also been included in the project. Bridges and culverts will be altered to avoid flooding and facilitate the smooth flow of water during high and low tides. A permanent system will also be set up to facilitate smooth flow by preventing solid waste and hyacinth from obstructing the flow.
Sustained clearance of silt, controlling pollution, strengthening the sidewalls of the canal, and construction of other necessary structures on stretches without sidewalls are also part of the project. A walkway alongside the canal, an open space, and a play area have also been envisaged. The first phase will cover 2.30-km stretch of the canal.
The canal also serves as the border of Kochi and Palluruthy. The project is expected to benefit future projects like the restoration of the Pashni canal in Palluruthy.
'Steps have been taken to prepare a detailed project report [DPR]. Linking the Pandarachira canal with water transport networks and community participation in the maintenance of the canal are also part of the DPR,' said Mayor M. Anilkumar while presiding over a meeting of company representatives and officials.
Matter Lab, a sister concern of Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society, has been entrusted with preparing the DPR for ₹50 lakh. The DPR will be ready within four months.
The Pandarachira canal was one of the main cargo routes to Kochi. However, the canal lost its significance with the development of road networks and the overall fall in the popularity of water transport. The stagnant canal has now become a source of pollution and waterlogging.
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