The city Corporation is set to take up the rejuvenation of canals and conservation of water bodies in the city as part of its Smart City projects.
The Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL) has now floated an Expression of Interest for prospective bidders who can take up the project, which involves the cleaning up and conservation some of the major canals in the city.
Three stretches
Three different stretches of canals are part of the sites proposed by the SCTL.
The first stretch consists of the Pazhavangadi canal from observatory hills till Kannammoola, extending to a distance of 5.9 kilometres. The second stretch is in the Attakulangara-Karimadom area, including the Karimadom pond spread out over an area of 7,500 square metres, the Kuryathi canal having a length of 1.8 kilometres, and a part of the Thekkenamkara canal. The third stretch is the part of the Killi river from Myladikkadavu bridge to the Attukal bridge, having a length of 1.8 kilometres.
The proposed works to be taken up include canal boundary protection, desiltation, fencing to prevent garbage from being disposed, clearance of solid waste to ensure smooth flow of water, prevention of sewage from being disposed into the water bodies by connecting the same to a sewer network, replacement of drainage pipes or water pipes that are obstructing the water flow, installation of solid waste management facilities, connecting of all storm water drains with the canal, and CCTV surveillance to monitor waste dumping.
The civic body has over the years implemented several projects for the cleaning up and rejuvenation of the city’s major canals.
Waste dumping
However, many of these have yielded desired results as waste dumping has continued soon after major clean-up drives, leading to restriction of flow and flooding in nearby low-lying areas.
