De-siltation points for Meenachil identified

A river restoration project aims at a massive clean-up of the river bed

Rocked by a series of devastating floods since 2018, the Meenachilar finally looks set to get its curves back.

An ambitious river restoration project by the State government, which has been in the planning for years, envisages a massive clean-up of the river bed in as many as 38 locations starting from the Marmala waterfalls on the upstream till Mathirencheri in Vijayapuram.

The sites for de-siltation were identified by a research team from the Kerala Engineering Research Institute , which has also quantified the volume of materials to be removed from each of these locations.

Confirming the development, a top official with the Irrigation department said the project would see the river, which changed its course with boulder accumulation and delta formations, returning to its original state. The process will revive a series of bends and smaller channels that would reduce the risk of flooding.

“To begin with, the boulders that have accumulated on the riverbed for about two kilometers from the Marmala falls near its origin have to be cleared. The Adukkam Thodu at Chamappara, a major tributary of the river, too has reported a similar issue where boulders weighing around 15,200 cubic meters will have to be removed to ensure free flow,” noted the official.

Other key obstructions to the river in the upstream include the delta formations at Thalanad and Teekoy and sand deposits at locations including the Mesthirippadi bridge, Pallivathil check dam, Moonilavu etc.

While the State government seeks to implement the plan in coordination with the various government departments, official sources reckon that the role of the agencies such as the Haritha Keralam Mission and the MNREGS works will be mostly limited to the smaller streams and canals. “Works on the riverbed, which may involve drudging up to the Mean Sea Level, will require men and machine if the project is to complete in a time-bound manner. The overall cost of the project, which will be carried out with the support of the local bodies concerned, is estimated to be just over ₹100 crore,” pointed out another official.