Express Information Company
KOCHI: With the town witnessing intermittent showers, citizens are demanding the reinstallation of ‘petti’ and ‘para’ — the mechanism set up in the city canals for regulating h2o amount in the course of ebb and circulation to prevent flooding during the monsoon
As the mayor has prioritised the waterlogging situation, several activists and residents’ associations are demanding long-term designs as a comply with-up to Procedure Breakthrough
With the town getting sudden showers in January, Kochi residents are presently anticipating yet another harrowing flood in the course of the following monsoon. Amid the rising mosquito menace, lots of experience that these ‘surprise showers’ will be a double whammy for town residents. Even though some residents and organisations are hopeful about the promises produced by the new corporation council on pre-monsoon cleansing, numerous others are demanding the introduction of the ‘petti’ and ‘para’, the traditional dewatering process to control h2o circulation as a extended-time period answer to the trouble.
“The current two petti and para units have been dysfunctional for a prolonged time. They will have to be repaired and the presence of normal workers should be ensured for upkeep. These ended up successful earlier and should be created operational once more. Simultaneously, all drains and sewer networks must be cleared in progress. Mosquitoes are a nuisance and the intermittent rains have only produced it even worse. Only petti and para can flush out stinking drinking water and assure totally free-flowing canals all 12 months lengthy,” reported P Rangadasa Prabhu, president, Ernakulam District Citizens Associations Apex Council (EDRAAC).
Nevertheless, officers pointed out that reinstallation of the conventional process would not make a big difference.
“Reinstalling the program will not resolve waterlogging. Sreedharan sir (E Sreedharan) put in the technique in the Mullassery canal primarily as an emergency measure. If we take into account the higher rainfall and amount of money of water surging into this canal by yourself from the backwaters throughout significant tide, we might have to install at the very least 50 these types of programs with a capability of 30hp.
We have to have to address is the uneven mattress concentrations of these canals that are straight related to the backwaters. We must supply a seamless circulation of h2o as a result of the canals by reclaiming encroachments and removing obstructions in drains,” mentioned R Baji Chandran, executive engineer, Minor Irrigation Section, who headed the complex committee in the next phase of Operation Breakthrough task.
Previously, Kerala Superior Court docket directed the Kochi Company to convey again the Mullassery canal to its earlier condition. Ironically, flooding transpired only in the Thevara-Perandoor canal and its tributaries like Mullassery which were being not element of Procedure Breakthrough. “The final monsoon, key flooding transpired around the KSRTC bus stand and colonies nearby. If we repair the drinking water move problems of Mullassery canal, flooding close to the bus stand and railway station can be averted. As a lot of as 21 canals that have been directly joined to backwaters existed in between Atlantis and Vaduthala earlier. H2o will have to be drained out to nearby outlets to prevent flooding,” he stated.
New council all set to get started pre-monsoon operate
In the meantime, the new council has begun the actions to start off pre-monsoon cleansing by March. “Usually, estimate preparing will only start out by March and the cleansing drive will start out close to May. This time, we practically finished the estimation and are relocating in direction of the tendering approach. We hope to start off the pre-monsoon cleaning from March with particular tasks to officers,” said M Anilkumar, Kochi Mayor. Nonetheless, he has clarified that reclaiming the encroachments are on the cards.
“As a stick to up to Procedure Breakthrough, we have determined to maintain a conference of corporation engineers and engineers who ended up portion of the initiative to keep on the drive effectively. The procedure of ‘Pettiyum Parayum’ will also be regarded as in the conference. Eventually, we need to take away the encroachments to
resolve the issue after and for all,” he said.
How does it function?
Petti and para is a well known method applied for de-watering agricultural fields. The area adaptation of propeller pumps was employed in Kochi’s canals in early 2000. The metropolis had practically 11 similar methods. A solitary unit will price close to Rs 30 lakh. The process can pump out around 2,000 litres of drinking water in an hour from canals to backwaters and pump clean drinking water from backwaters to clear away the mosquito infestation in canals. “Kochi under no circumstances witnessed flooding when petti and para functioned successfully.
All of them were being put at the fag close of boundary canals. Obstructions like slush or other objects will not interrupt its functioning. They effortlessly take out the excessive h2o coming by high tides throughout monsoon time. Canals like Thevara-Perandoor poorly have to have these a program as significant tides are repeated from both equally ends and dredging by itself won’t address waterlogging. Now, even slight drizzles are causing inundation,” reported an qualified.