Canals in West Kochi to be rejuvenated starting with Pandarachira canal

The canals of West Kochi will be rejuvenated, restored, and beautified by the Kochi Corporation. The initiative will begin with the restoration of the Pandarachira canal, estimated at ₹100 crore.

The Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society (ULCCS) is expected to finalise a detailed project report (DPR) for the project shortly.

“Initially, we explored the possibility of issuing Blue Bonds to mobilise resources for the project. However, due to several technical challenges, including the Kochi Corporation’s credit rating, the idea was dropped. Instead, we are now exploring the scope of grants, and the DPR is expected to support this effort,” said Mayor M. Anilkumar. Bechtel Foundation is trying to find grants to execute the project.

The successful rejuvenation of the Pandarachira canal is expected to boost investor confidence in similar projects and is likely to mark the beginning of the restoration of other significant canals in West Kochi.

Separate project

This initiative is separate from the rejuvenation of the Edappally canal, Perandoor canal, Chilavannoor canal, Thevara canal, Market canal, and Konthuruthy canal, which fall under a Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)-funded Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System project. Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) serves as the special purpose vehicle for the project. While the initial administrative sanction was ₹1,528.27 crore, it was later revised to ₹3,716.10 crore based on a proposal submitted by the KMRL project director.

Desilting of the Chilavannoor canal is currently under way. Once completed, it is expected to resolve frequent waterlogging near the Kaloor International Stadium. After the elections, the Chettichira bridge along the Subhash Chandra Bose road, where a narrow culvert connects multiple canals to the Chilavannoor canal, will be reconstructed along with several other connected bridges.

This will be followed by the rejuvenation of the Market canal and Edappally canal, which are expected to take two to three years. “Just as the last five years focussed on solid waste management, Kochi will dedicate the next five years to the rejuvenation and restoration of its canals. This effort will largely depend on grants, as the government may not be able to fund the entire ₹4,000 crore required,” Mr. Anilkumar added.