Collective efforts have brought an age-old canal back to life in Kanjikuzhy block panchayat.
The Karippel canal, once a navigable waterway and a source of water for irrigating paddy fields in the area, had lost its glory due to encroachments and waste dumping.
In January 2019, the Kanjikuzhy block panchayat and Cherthala South and Kadakkarappally grama panchayats jointly launched an initiative under the Haritha Keralam Mission to restore its past glory.
The block panchayat earmarked ₹28 lakh, while the two grama panchayats together contributed ₹27 lakh. Almost a year later, water has once again started to flow freely in the canal and it is becoming home to a thriving shoal of fish.
“Several years ago, the canal was the lifeline of Cherthala South and Kadakkarappally panchayats. It started to lose its glory three decades ago due to accumulation of silt and waste dumping. Absence of free flow of water has resulted in flooding of the area during the monsoon seasons. As many as 100 families living on the banks of the canal were the worst affected, as they were forced to shift to relief camps every rainy season. The project has helped to restore the canal and lives of the people living on its banks,” said an official.
Encroachments
The Karippel canal is 12 km long and had a width of 85 metres. But encroachments have reduced the width of the canal in many places to a mere six metres. As part of the project, silt and waste accumulated in the canal were removed. Later, the canal was deepened to ensure flow of water. They also laid coir geotextiles to protect the banks of the waterbody. Besides, footpaths were constructed and saplings planted in the area.
Officials further said that the Kanjikuzhy block panchayat would soon launch a project to clean up a tributary of the Karippel canal flowing through Pattanakad grama panchayat.
