Waste threat looms over Veli-Kadinamkulam boat service

Key points

• According to officials of the Coastal Shipping and Inland Navigation Department, indiscriminate dumping along the waterway is turning into a…
• It is learned that a major source of waste entering the Akkulam lake system is through outlets of the Amayizhanchan…
• “This was a major concern during the trial runs and garbage sacks got entangled in the boat’s propeller.
• Though the trial run was completed successfully on Monday, the authorities are gearing up to serve notices to VSSC for…

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The proposed boat service between Veli and Kadinamkulam, to be launched ahead of Onam, is facing a major challenge even before its regular operations commence, with rampant dumping of waste along the waterway raising concerns over the safety and smooth operation of the service.

Though the trial run was completed successfully on Monday, the authorities are gearing up to serve notices to VSSC for alleged dumping of waste in the water bodies. The authorities are also planning to provide a letter to the city corporation, and irrigation department demanding intervention to prevent waste dumping in the water body.

According to officials of the Coastal Shipping and Inland Navigation Department, indiscriminate dumping along the waterway is turning into a major challenge for boat operations.

“This was a major concern during the trial runs and garbage sacks got entangled in the boat’s propeller. Waste dumping along the banks continues to be a concern,” said the official. According to The official, the final trial run was completed successfully on Monday without any obstruction, but such dumping needs to be ceased to enable regular boat operations.

What happened

It is learned that a major source of waste entering the Akkulam lake system is through outlets of the Amayizhanchan and Thettiyar canals. When the opening of the Veli breakwater can rapidly flush accumulated waste into the waterway, the problem becomes acute during heavy rain.

“Another hot spot we identified was the VSSC quarters. We had served a notice recently and we are planning to provide a fresh notice. We found garbage dumped around its quarters and inaccessible areas along the boundary. We found waste dumped from CISF quarters located on VSSC property,” the office-holders said. The authorities are also planning to take up the problem with the corporation and the Irrigation Department.

“Waste has to be removed on a regular basis. We are planning to fence the stretch to prevent dumping. We have widened the stretch into 25 metres and side-protection works will be carried out soon to prevent erosion of the banks caused by waves generated by boats,” stated the official. The department is planning to set up three boat jetties along the Veli-Kadinamkulam stretch – at Veli, near Arattuvazhi bridge and at St Andrews.

“The projects are at various stages of tendering. Two works have been awarded and the third is in the tendering stage,” said the official.

The details

With the regular service expected to be rolled out ahead of Onam, officials are now pushing for a coordinated mechanism involving the corporation, panchayats, Irrigation Department, and waterways authorities to tackle dumping hot spots and ensure that the newly revived waterway remains navigable and free of waste.