With no desilting, reservoir capacity takes a hit
The Hindu
Project to remove silt deposited after 2018 floods yet to take off
Desiltation of major reservoirs is yet to happen in Kerala though the water holding capacity of most of them has been reduced by the huge quantities of silt deposited by the 2018 floods.
Though the previous LDF government had mooted the idea of selling the clay and sand deposits removed from the reservoirs, the project did not make any headway. Of the 20 reservoirs owned by it, the Irrigation Department could initiate the project only at Mangalam reservoir in Palakkad.
The siltation has reduced the storage capacity of many dams significantly. Once these reservoirs are desilted, its storage could be enhanced and water need not be drained as done during the rainy season, pointed experts in irrigation civil engineering.
Everyone talks about the Airport Metro, but one look at the pillars and completion seems nowhere in sight. Meanwhile, a faster, cheaper, roomier alternative called the Suburban Rail Airport Corridor is finally getting off the drawing board. This dedicated corridor with its specialised coaches will link the airport to vast stretches of Bengaluru, where the metro connection is still years away.