Rocks protruding into the rivers, hindering the smooth flow of water, especially during floods, can be removed in an appropriate manner, said Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine. The district collectors are empowered to remove such obstacles under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, said Mr. Augustine in reply to a submission of Sebastian Kulathunkal, MLA, in the Assembly.
A meeting called by the Chief Minister in 2019 had directed the district collectors to ensure smooth flow of water by taking up required works within the ambit of the Act. Frequent floods and landslips have deposited huge amounts of silt and soil in the rivers. This has to be removed at regular intervals to ensure water flow. A team of officials led by an executive engineer has been deputed to hold a preliminary inspection and collect details of each river, said Mr. Augustine.
Exploration in rivers
The Kerala Engineering and Research Institute under the Irrigation department has done an exploration in rivers like Achencoil, Pampa, Manimala, Meenachil, and Muvattuppuzha after the 2021 flood, which found that the silt and soil accumulated in the rivers could be removed in a phased manner. In the first phase, various programmes are being implemented by the Irrigation department in association with Local Self-Government and Revenue departments and public participation. A three-pronged strategy was also adopted to remove the silt and soil, said Mr. Augustine.
Pre-monsoon cleaning
The works to be completed as part of the pre-monsoon cleaning drive have already started. Further, the process to remove silt accumulated in dams is under way as part of the a direction of the State government. While the work is underway at Mangalam dam, the tendering process is on for the works in Chulliyar, Walayar, and Meenkara dams. The accumulated silt was removed from Manjummel and Chenganamkunnu regulators, while the work was on at Purappillikavu, Pookkottumanna, and Cheruthurithi regulators, said Mr. Augustine.
