Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac has directed the Irrigation Department to complete the first phase of the Alappuzha canal rejuvenation project by October.
He was speaking at a meeting to review development projects in Alappuzha town at the District Collectorate on Saturday.
The first phase of the project, which included the cleaning of nine major canals, was originally scheduled to be completed before the onset of the Southwest monsoon.
However, the COVID-19 induced lockdown delayed the process. The major canals being cleaned and deepened in the first phase are Vade Canal, Commercial Canal, West Junction Canal, East Junction Canal, Uppootti Canal, Murinjapuzha Thodu, Kottaram Thodu, Alappuzha-Sherthala (AS) Canal, and Alappuzha-Ambalapuzha Canal.
According to officials with the Irrigation Department, of the total 24 km to be rejuvenated, work has been completed in 18 km.
The work on Vade canal would be finished in two weeks, said an official.
As part of the project, the canal banks will be beautified along with constructing cycle tracks and footpath. Earlier, the State government had sanctioned ₹108 crore under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) for the execution of the project, which will be completed in four phases.
A sum of ₹39 crore is being utilised in the initial phase.
Land acquisition
The Finance Minister said that the process of land acquisition for the reconstruction of Power House Bridge (Shavakottapalam), Kommady bridge and Nehru Trophy bridge in the town would be hastened.
