KOCHI: Going by the predictions of the Met department, the monsoon will hit the Kerala coast by the month end and which is just a week away. The monsoon brings with it cheer to Malayalis but the West Kochi residents are a worried lot, fearing the possible inundation due to clogged drainage and canals. The Rameswaram canal built to act as spill way to clear water during rainy season through the West Kochi area has not been able to provide the desired result due to poor upkeep, according to the People’s Action Council activist Philip Chandy.Chandy said that the cleaning operation this time was much more effective compared to last year. He said this was mainly due to the assembly polls which made the political dispensation to put their weight behind the operation. The elections came as blessing in disguise, he said. Unlike in the past the feeder canals have been cleaned this time. The cleaning operation appears to have been over and its effectiveness will be known after the rainy season begins. Dredging is not effective in areas where the excavators cannot enter. The floating JCB pushes the slush through the canal, whichis not enough. He wonders why the local body is not taking any step to probe into the alleged encroachment. According to the Irrigation Department sources, 95 per cent of the work is over.The sources said that the Chief Technical Examiner (CTE) needs to carry out inspection before declaring the work to be over. The irrigation department is satisfied with the work and has confirmed the depth of the canal. Now the CTE will conduct a final inspection of the depth before declaring that the work is over.The sources, however, said that the cleaning work is difficult in areas which had no approach roads. Five JCBs were used for cleaning. Of these, three were floating JCBs. The sources claimed that maximum slush have been removed from the canal and the cleaning will be complete before the end of May.
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