Centre reviews flood mitigation proposal for capital city

The Union government has reviewed the proposals submitted by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) for the implementation of a ₹200-crore Urban Flood Risk Management Programme for Thiruvananthapuram city, according to KSDMA officials. The Centre's approval for the wide-ranging programme involving various government departments as well as the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is awaited.
All the proposals collated from the departments and the Corporation were submitted by the KSDMA, which is the coordinating agency for the project. According to Corporation officials, the civic body's proposals were focussed on the storm water drains leading into the three major canal networks in the city — Amayizhanjan, Parvathy Puthanar, and Thettiyar. The cleaning up and deepening of these drains could address waterlogging-related issues in several areas, as per the assessment of the Corporation.
Tackling waterlogging
'Several new storm water drains were constructed under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, due to which there was no waterlogging in some areas which were perpetually plagued by it. Some more drains need improvement to address the remaining issues,' said an official.
On the other hand, the Major and Minor Irrigation departments have focussed on the cleaning and widening of the various canals that run through the city as well as plans to address the issues at the Veli breakwater.
Funds for the project
For the programme, the Union government will contribute ₹150 crore and the State, ₹50 crore. The capital is one among nine cities chosen for the nationwide programme to enhance the resilience of cities to flood-related disasters, considering the increasing frequency of waterlogging and flooding.
The 15th Finance Commission had in 2022 earmarked an amount of ₹2,500 crore under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund for urban flood mitigation for the seven most populous cities. As a continuation of this, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) rolled out similar programmes for nine more cities at a cost of ₹1,800 crore – in which Thiruvananthapuram has been included.

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