District Collector Renu Raj on Wednesday sounded optimistic of regulating the outflow of water from Edamalayar reservoir in the next couple of days if the climate was favourable and rain stayed away, including in the catchment areas.
Talking at a meet-the-press organised by the Ernakulam Press Club here, she said that release of water from the Edamalayar reservoir had to be progressively increased from 50 cumecs to 250 cumecs after the water level was 20% more than what it was last year.
“Despite the release of water from both the Idukki and Edamalayar reservoirs, the district was spared of flooding thanks to the good work done by the Irrigation department since 2018 in de-clogging the water mouths, facilitating smooth flow of water to the sea,” she said.
The District Collector called for better coordination among various agencies in flood mitigation works in the absence of which there was the danger of such works turning counterproductive. Even minor glitches like not de-clogging a drainage hole can lead to major flooding. Stakeholders, including Corporation, PWD, and Cochin Smart Mission Limited, have been asked to identity and report glitches in their works, which would be then be corrected by the corresponding agencies. She said that issues in the restoration work of Mullassery canal had been sorted out.
Priorities
Dr. Raj said that resolving flooding and waste menace in urban areas and educational empowerment of students from backward sections in rural areas remained her priorities.
“The district is also home to many premier institutions. For instance, the Kochi Cancer Centre can be elevated to a pioneering institute at par with the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. Similarly, institutions like the Government Medical College and Ernakulam General Hospital have potential for further expansion,” she said.
