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Time of India
12-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
More sediment, silt will be removed from dams: Min
T'puram: Water resources minister Roshy Augustine said that removing sediment and silt from dams to increase storage capacity can help address both flooding and water scarcity. The minister was inaugurating the new headquarters of the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC) at the Jalabhavan campus. Desilting work is being carried out at the Aruvikkara dam, which saw a reduction of up to 50% in its water storage capacity for the first time in 90 years. Idukki Malankara dam had to be opened this monsoon due to reduced storage capacity. The aim is to solve this issue through desilting. The desilting of the Aruvikkara dam is being overseen by KIIDC. Augustine mentioned that tender procedures to similarly renovate a few other dams will commence soon. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
The Hindu
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Second phase of groyne construction gains momentum
The second phase of groyne field (pulimuttu) construction using tetrapods along the Alappuzha coast is making progress. Forty-one groyne fields are being constructed by the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC) at a total cost of Rs. 107.8 crore sanctioned under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). Nineteen groynes with a total length of 1.8 km are coming up at Kakkazhom-Valajavazhi in the Ambalapuzha Assembly constituency, nine each at Ottamassery (960 m) in Cherthala and Kattoor-Polletahi (1 km) in Alappuzha and four at Nellanikkal (450 m) in Haripad. While the construction of groynes had already begun at Kakkazhom-Valajavazhi, Kattoor-Polletahi and Nellanikkal, work at Ottamassery was kick-started in the last week of May. 'We expect the work to gain momentum by next week,' said a KIIDC official. Ottamassery is the area most affected by sea surges in the Cherthala Assembly constituency, with 12 houses destroyed in recent years. The project to protect the coastline was conceived in 2021. Initially, an amount of ₹16 crore was sanctioned for constructing groyne fields at Ottamassery, but it proved insufficient. Following the intervention of Agriculture Minister P. Prasad, KIIFB sanctioned additional funds for the project. Though approval was granted based on a revised estimate of ₹30 crore, work was again stalled due to difficulties in procuring granite stones. Stones are now being transported from Konni in Pathanamthitta. In the first phase, KIIDC constructed 114 groynes with a total length of 11.26 km at five places — Kattoor, Ambalapuzha, Arattupuzha, Vattachal and Pathiyankara – at a cost of ₹223.18 crore sanctioned under KIIFB. The groynes were constructed using tetrapods weighing two and five tonnes. After laying granite stones of different sizes, tetrapods were placed on top. Groyne fields, built 100 m apart in areas prone to severe sea surges, were designed not to hamper the flow of floodwaters into the sea through existing channels. The groynes, which extend from the shore into the sea, are helping reduce the impact of waves and prevent coastal erosion.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Desilting of Aruvikkara dam starts, to up storage capacity
Thiruvananthapuram: With the aim of increasing Aruvikkara reservoir's capacity, thereby helping resolve the shortage of drinking water in the state capital, desilting the dam has begun and is expected to be completed within one year. The city depends on Aruvikkara reservoir for its water needs but silt has reduced its capacity by half. Divine Shipping Services, a Gujarat-based agency, has begun desilting work of the reservoir. The agency has to pay Rs 14 crore to Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC) for doing the work. In return, the agency can take possession of the huge quantity of sand, clay and silt being removed from the reservoir. The agency paid Rs 1.3 crore to KIIDC for the first phase of work. Completion of all work phases is expected in 12 months. "Sediments take up 25ft in the reservoir with 46ft depth and water occupies only about 11ft. One lakh cubic feet of sand, clay and silt are expected to be cleared in the first phase," said a KIIDC officer. "Due to massive deposition of silt, the dam's capacity decreased to 43%. The reservoir has a capacity to store 2 million cubic metres of water but presently, it can store only less than 1 million cubic metres," said a Kerala Water Authority (KWA) officer. Divine Shipping Services has divided the reservoir into eight sections by creating bunds using earth. Presently, the work of removing silt from two sections is underway. This is done without polluting water in the other sections to avoid disrupting the drinking water supply to the city. "After the first phase, the agency has to pay the remaining amount to continue work in the other sections. The work is closely monitored by a team of officials to prevent water in other sections getting polluted. There was a delay in beginning the work after it was awarded to the agency as KWA's permission was needed for cutting some trees inside the reservoir area," said the KIIDC officer. The official said that the reservoir was built in 1933 and it hasn't been desilted since then. "The reservoir carries the silt of 90 years. One can imagine how huge the quantity of deposited silt is. Once desiltation is done, the reservoir can store water to meet the city's needs for six months," the officer added. Clearing Deposit Aruvikkara reservoir depth- 46ft Sediments - 25ft Water depth - 11ft Divine Shipping Services has begun desilting work It has to pay Rs 14 crore to KIIDC Reservoir divided into 8 sections for desilting Work presently on in 2 sections
