Killiyaar Mission stumbles at next hurdle: Polluted canals

Thiruvananthapuram: The city corporation, which is gearing up for the mega cleaning drive under Killiyaar Mission on February 27 has a bigger task at hand -- identification of canals owned by minor irrigation department which joins Killiyaar.
One such canal which runs through Dharmamunampu, Nagarumoola from Kalady to Killiyaar used to irrigate the neighbouring paddy fields.On Thursday, two labourers and a mini-earthmover were deployed to clean the canal which is now a water body with dirty and stagnant water.
For the past three years, cleaning has been a routine in this canal, but the results hardly stay beyond a week as it gets filled with household waste, sacks of meat waste and all kinds of trash. “There could be so many such canals which lead up to Killiyaar and all of them are in poor shape. Unless we identify and restore these canals, there is no point cleaning Killiyaar,” said G S Manju, ward councillor, Kalady.
With paddy fields being levelled for construction projects, the departments concerned have cut down the budget on maintenance of these canals which run along various wards to Killiyaar. The clogged canals also result in flash floods. The residents along the banks complain that even during a small shower they face the threat of getting flooded. Manju said that with the irrigation canals losing their original purpose, there seems to be a confusion among various departments as to who should take care of these water bodies.
The officials of Killiyaar Mission already have their hands full with drains and liquid waste outlets from households emptying into Killiyaar. They have identified 39 drains with a total length of 42.5km. One major challenge would be cleaning these drains as a major portion of them are covered. The drain at Valiyasala is covered up to 90% while those at Chalai, Attukal, Arannur, Jagathy and Pangode are also covered for a fairly long distance.
While the corporation was initially harping on providing septage management in 72 households, the actual number could be more than double posing additional financial requirements. The city corporation has been mulling various systems, including Ponnani model septage management in households as part of its ongoing mission to clean the water bodies in the city.
“We understand that it won’t be just about drains and households when it comes to reviving Killiyaar. The mega cleaning drive will be the first phase of Killiyaar Mission. The second phase involves preparation of a detailed master plan in which we will collect and integrate data on irrigation canals in these wards which are no longer in use,” said a project official.