Latest news with #OperationBreakthrough
Time of India
07-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Authorities design project to desilt and renovate drains along MG Road
Kochi: District administration and Kochi corporation have designed a project to desilt and renovate drains, along with other measures, under Operation Breakthrough to avoid waterlogging on MG Road. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the first phase, Rs 10 crore will be utilized for the project and more funds will be released by PWD at a later stage. A decision was made at a meeting convened by mayor M Anilkumar on Sunday. It was decided to begin construction works on MG Road at the earliest. Besides renovation of drains and desilting, other works to prevent waterlogging will also be implemented with an expenditure of Rs 10 crore as part of the operation. "Funds will be used for works starting from Madhava Pharmacy Junction on MG Road. It is expected that additional funds will be allocated in Phase II, depending on approval from PWD," mayor said. Reports related to replacement of broken slabs on MG Road were submitted by PWD at the meeting. Additional funds will be used for renovation of footpaths and other facilities. Instructions have been given to expedite works being carried out in four reaches of Thevara-Perandoor Canal by irrigation department. Officials informed the meeting that all pump sets of fire and rescue services are operational. Meeting noted that activities to contain waterlogging in Kammattipadam area were successfully completed. Irrigation department officials made a detailed presentation on the works on Mullassery Canal during the meeting. Corporation health standing committee chairman and officials, including health officer, were congratulated at the meeting for setting up a task force using corporation health department staff. They effectively intervened to take immediate steps to contain waterlogging in the city during heavy rains.
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Desilting of TP Canal in Kochi to be completed by mid-July
The desilting of the Thevara-Perandoor (TP) Canal by the Minor Irrigation department under Operation Breakthrough is likely to be completed by the middle of this month (July, 2025). Out of the total 10.2 km of the canal, which is being desilted at a cost of ₹9.87 crore, nearly 1.5 km, between Kaloor and Pulleppady, remains to be covered. Unlike in the previous years, the desilting and deepening of major canals have been entrusted with the Irrigation department. While previously the Kochi city Corporation carried out the works directly, this time the civic body has assumed a largely supervisory role. The desilting of the TP Canal was divided into four segments and assigned to separate contractors to ensure that the works were done simultaneously and wrapped up on time. Taking more time 'We have desilted the stretch up to the Pulleppady bridge on one side and Kaloor on the other side. We have now commenced desilting from both sides. It is taking more time than in other stretches as the canal in this particular stretch is just 6-m wide unlike in other stretches where the width ranges between 10 m and 150 m, and also due to the presence of bridges about every 50 m or so unlike every 300 m or more elsewhere. This means that we have to deploy cranes to load and offload pontoon excavators at frequent intervals,' said Irrigation department sources. As per the department's guidelines, a waterbody once desilted need not be desilted again for another three years. 'But unlike rivers with constant flow, the TP Canal is prone to tidal flooding and the flow of water in both directions means that it may get polluted faster than usual. Hence, the canal may have to be desilted, at least up to a depth of 10-20 cm next year as well. This time, we had to desilt as deep as 1.5 m to 2 m in many stretches like the Link Avenue Road and Nivya Road near Kaloor,' said sources.
New Indian Express
15-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Kochi Mullassery Canal's 'three-month fix' drags on for five years, Rs 20 crore counting
KOCHI: With the monsoon intensifying, the worst fears of people living near the Mullassery Canal have come true. Even after extensive rejuvenation work, which spanned over five years and cost more than ₹20 crore, the canal still fails to channel stormwater effectively. As a result, the sprawling urban heartland it runs through is inundated after the recent showers. 'Since the onset of the monsoon, my home was flooded for the fourth time on Sunday,' explained 83-year-old T Ravindran, who stays on Swami Vivekananda Road. 'We endured years of renovation work that, needless to say, upended our lives. But even after, we are left with even worse waterlogging. What was the point of all that 'development' if it has only plunged our daily lives into deeper misery,' he added. As The New Indian Express had highlighted earlier, much of the problem still lies with the canal, more precisely, with its shoddy renovation work. Residents, including local councillor Padmaja S Menon, have pointed out that the project was carried out without proper planning or adequate supervision. 'I had met the officials, even the Collector, numerous times since the work began to air many concerns. The work was sloppy right from the start. Like me, others too had raised the alarm, but none were heeded,' lamented 76-year-old P K Balan, a resident. First envisioned in 2020 as a 'three-month project' to tame urban flooding as part of the much-touted Operation Breakthrough, the canal, now sealed off with concrete slabs in most sections, gives the impression that all is well.
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Poor coordination delays Kochi's pre-monsoon works, raising flood risk as rains arrive early
KOCHI: Though Kochi corporation initiated its pre-monsoon cleaning activities early this year, lack of coordination between departments has delayed the work, posing the threat of waterlogging in the city. The situation is worryingly dire, with the southwest monsoon having made early landfall. On Sunday, district collector N S K Umesh visited National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) work locations and directed the authority, railways, and other departments to complete the dredging of canals and drains. 'The public works department had been entrusted with cleaning the drains in MG Road, Banerjee Road and Shanmugham Road. That work is yet to be completed. In the 2025-26 budget, `10 crore was allocated for Operation Breakthrough. The amount has not been utilised. Moreover, the water authority is yet to remove the old pipes obstructing water flow,' said Manoj Kumar, president of the Merchants Chamber of Commerce. Areas such as Panampilly Nagar, BRM Nagar, Vasanth Nagar, and other areas experienced waterlogging in the past few days. Seena Gokul, chairperson of the public works committee, said pre-monsoon cleaning activities were started early this time, but were delayed due to several reasons. 'We had instances of contractors abandoning work, besides other issues. We have completed desilting and dredging of most of the canals using the suction-cum-jetting machine,' she said. On Friday, the Kerala High Court observed that only 30-50% of the pre-monsoon activities had been completed.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Monsoon preparedness to be stepped up in Ernakulam
The district authorities have initiated steps to complete the pre-monsoon preparedness and prevent waterlogging in the city limits as part of the Operation Breakthrough project. A meeting of the officials of various departments and elected representatives, convened by District Collector N.S.K. Umesh last week, had decided to ensure the time-bound completion of the projects. The meeting reviewed the rejuvenation works in Mullassery canal, Chilavannur canal, Edappally canal, and High Court canal. A decision to step up work in the areas that usually face severe waterlogging was taken at the meeting. The required works at Kammattipadam have been completed, according to officials. Mr. Umesh told the officials to implement measures to avoid waterlogging at the Jos Junction. The district administration suggested immediate completion of the cleaning up of canals within the Kochi Corporation limits. Steps should also be taken to ease the flow in the Vivekananda canal. The meeting had also discussed the waterlogging near Al-Ameen School, Edappally. Minister for Industries P. Rajeeve, who convened an online meeting to discuss the preparedness, suggested convening Assembly constituency-level meetings to review the works initiated. He suggested cutting down trees that pose a danger to the public during heavy rains and strong winds. A strict protocol has to be ensured with regard to the opening of the shutters of various dams, he said. T. K. Ashraf, chairperson of the Kochi Corporation's Standing Committee on Health, said that the decisions taken at the review meetings convened by the district administration and the government will be implemented in a time-bound manner. The cleaning works along the canals and drains will be done as per the schedule, he said.
