Garbage removal will not do; 200 crores from centre should be used for scientific drainage system and wide drainage channels

Harappa and Mohenjadaro are only familiar to us through social science textbooks. These are two cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, that existed 2500 years before Christ. The remains of these cities uncovered in excavations still amaze the world with the layout of the underground channels that were designed for water drainage. The design of the city was so modern for that time! We should acknowledge the town planning of the 'Indus Valley era' while reading the news that a central scheme of 200 crore rupees will be happening to solve the human sufferings that occur year after year due to waterlogging in the capital city. Is there a greater shame than the fact that we have not learned to solve water logging even in this twenty-first century!

As per the recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission, under the National Disaster Relief Fund, the Center has allocated Rs 2500 crore for disaster relief activities in seven cities of the country. 200 crore plan for Thiruvananthapuram is based on the flood control plan devised for other cities on the same model. Of this, the Centre will provide Rs 150 crore, i.e. 75 percent. The remaining Rs 50 crore should be spent by the state. The state government should submit a detailed outline to the centre detailing how the project funds will be utilized. A great opportunity has now arrived for a permanent solution to the water logging problem that muddies the capital and makes people drown in misery during the monsoons. It is the prayer of the residents of the capital that the state government and the municipal corporation should use this opportunity as smartly as possible.

Antony Raju MLA said recently that the flow in Parvathi Puthanaar will be eased to avoid waterlogging in the city. The main job is to remove the garbage. Renovations worth Rs. 44 lakhs are going on here at present. Apart from this, the MLA said that the width of some streams and the storage capacity of the pond should be increased. Removal of garbage and widening of waterways is a good thing. However, dumping of garbage and streams and ponds getting filled by sand are recurring phenomena. What the city needs is a scientific drainage system with underground drains and wide drainage channels. Such modern urban planning models are what should be made possible with the Rs 200 crore made available through the central plan. Small activities such as clearing the garbage require no deep thought or planning!

There was news that we were losing the amount allocated by the Centre every year for coconut development projects due to the non-submission of the project proposal on time until a year ago. Such indifference should not happen in the case of the flood relief project. The outline of the project should be submitted on time. The politics of those ruling the centre, need not be looked into in this regard. The state government should not hesitate to follow the instructions put forward by the central government, which is spending three-quarters of 200 crores. That is because the people's desire and need for a permanent solution to the waterlogging problem that the capital city has been experiencing for a long time is the highest priority. There should be no issue of politics, bureaucracy or bad language obstructing it.