Up until 2018, residents of Kozhikode were confident that no floods could touch them.
Regular waterlogging, especially in the heart of the city, has become the norm since then, and the reasons are often traced back to the Conolly Canal and the Kallai river that it empties into. Now, the floods in Chennai have brought the issue of the river back into focus, with environmentalists and local residents warning of a worse situation in Kozhikode if the natural flow of the Kallai is not restored.
Encroachments and silt accumulation at the bottom of the river have been under discussion for decades. A survey done a decade ago had revealed that at least 23.5 acres on both sides of the Kallai river had been encroached upon. However, the Kallai River Protection Committee that had approached Kerala High Court demanding that the encroachments be cleared, claimed that there was more land that had not come under the survey.
“The Kallai river is the only means by which water in the city, Conolly canal, and nearby areas is drained into the sea. At present, even a mild rain causes waterlogging in the city. If the rain stays for more days, the city, especially the low-lying areas, gets submerged. Clearing encroachments and restoring the normal flow of the river are the need of the hour,” said Faisal Pallikkandy, general secretary of the committee.
Besides filling parts of the river to attach them to the land, large areas of revenue land, which was being used by private individuals under lease from the government, supposedly for timber business, was encroached upon. Some have even faked documents to sell off the land. “The encroachers who have approached the Kerala High Court have hidden details regarding ownership of the land and have only appealed for an extension of their leases. Action should be taken against those who have made fake documents,” Mr. Pallikkandy said, adding that the leases should not be renewed.
Meanwhile, desilting being carried out by the Irrigation department has not progressed beyond the tender stage. No agencies showed interest in the work for years, and the respondent to a recent tender quoted a higher amount than the sanctioned fund. If the negotiation with the agency does not work out, the project will have to be re-tendered.
