Suggestions by RIPF

There has been continuous knee-high flooding during the rainy season for the last fifteen years at Thampannoor, Pazhavangadi and East-Fort. Crores of rupees had been spent by our political masters and engineers to prevent the water-logging problem of the Capital City. The last one being the elevation of roads levels up to 3 Meters at Thampannoor, Power-house road and Pazhavangzdy culverts beyond the rail lines under which the canal flows ignoring the principle of “Thana Nilathe Neerodu”, the result of which was water-logging and flooding beyond knee-high at Pazhavangadi & Thampannoor during short duration intense rainfall.

Now it is the turn of the Cabinet Sub-committee to resolve a permanent solution to this water-logging. But Alas, in its first meeting they have again decided to constitute a technical committee involving top officials and engineers of PWD, Irrigation & LSGD to collate and study the proposals of various departments both urgent/temporary and long-term action. Trivandrum citizens know the inability of our engineers to find a solution to the flow of water in Thampannoor-Pazhavangadi-Thakaraparampu-Kannammoola-Amayizhanajn canal which passes through the heart of the city. This is the single major reason for the regular flooding. Is it again an attempt of a criminal waste of public money by our engineers, as in the past?

While the widening and improvement of the Thampannoor – Over bridge Road and the M.G. Road (PMG Melepazhavangady sector) and its drains & culverts are in progress, though at a snail’s pace, any temporary measures to prevent the flooding would become wastage of money. The City citizens are now in a mood to tolerate the ill deeds of the authorities. So think only about a permanent solution! Hence RIPF proposes the following suggestions:

CO-ORDINATION OF THE RAILWAYS:
Thiruvananthapuram Division of Southern Railway recorded the highest ever earning of Rs.611 crore for the year 2007-08 which is 21% more than the previous year and the major share is from Trivandrum station. Thampannoor railway station and its yard also faces flooding situation. The Thampannoor-Pazhavangady canal passes under the railway lines. The blunder of elevating the rail lines cannot be possible. So widening of the existing canal under rail-lines will be the first priority. State Government cannot tress-pass into the railway area and executes this work. So the Railways have enough funds to execute the work.

OUTSIDE HELP THROUGH CONSULTANCY / TECHNICAL EXPERTS:
So as to ensure smooth and free flow of water through the Amaizhanchan canal during the rainy season as well as the other season so as to prevent the water-logging problem and to find a way to remove pollutants from the water government will have look into the following issues:

1. A permanent solution is still to be evolved to deal with the pollution in Parvathy Puthanar to which the Amayizhanthan Thode is connected. (The sewage discharge from Valiathura to Parvathy Puthanar is posing a threat to water body and the high levels of pollution have created unsanitary conditions for the people.)

2. Evolve proper management of surface water drainage programme. (During the 60’s and 70’s there were the NMR system under PWD for the surface water drainage.) Long-term contracts for improvement and maintenance of the drains may be considered.

3. Outsourcing of periodical cleaning of the drains and cuverts of city roads to voluntary agencies like the FRAT and its supervision by the local resident associations. (Almost all the hotels (big & small) and multistoried institutions and flats releasing waste water into the drains. They had punchered the side of the drains to discharge the water.)

4. Stop illegal construction under the shadow of road – widening which affects the drains on road sides.

5. Avoid inordinate delay in execution of flood-management works because of the nexus between engineers and the contractors, resulting in massive cost over-run, stressing the need to evolve technologies which are low-cost.

6. Time bound (daily) programme for collection and removal of solid waste from the township area. (Dumping of waste results in unpleasant odour and air pollution; generation of leacha to polluting ground water and surface water and fly mosquito breeding.)

7. Implementation of the works in a transparent and accountable manner. The expenses would be put under the scanner by the implementation committee consisting of representatives of people, trading community, members of FRAT, Finance Inspection wing and the PWD Secretary and a social auditing considered to see that the contractors and engineers adhered to the best practices and that these practices were made transparent and accountable.

PRESCRIBE PUNITY MEASURES IN ADVANCE.

The citizens of Trivandrum need quality benchmarks and quality assurance, like the one as we have for the N.H. So Government would set certain guidelines so as to avoid irregular tender excess. Punity measures planned by Government against officials and Contractors who were responsible for cost – escalation in total disregard of the programmes should be prescribed in advance. Sincere efforts on the part of the officials and contractors will be rewarded. The past expenses, a day light robbery and blamed the collusion between unscrupulous contractors and corrupt bureaucrats. Prescribe initiation of criminal proceedings against delinquent engineers and contractors (prima facie found responsible) for their irregular dealing causing loss to the exchequer before effecting final payment. The amount will have to be recovered from the officials and contractors equally, giving no scope for a vigilance enquiry.

TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE IMPLEMENTATION:

We are all concerned about the fact that we invest crores every year in city road construction, improvements and maintenance and yet every monsoon our city roads get worn out. A major reason for the poor quality of road works was corruption. The City Roads Improvement Programme (CRIP) had come three years ago. However, the much heralded projects with sugar – coated assurances died a slow painful death owing entirely to the laxity of the authorities.

To prevent time and cost over-runs the work of prevention of water logging in the Capital City, Government may explore the possibility of entrusting the work with outside technology through the formation of a “Special Purpose Vehicle” (SPV) under public – private partnership on a priority basis.