Kerala High Court Demands Update on Flood Defense Efforts Surrounding Court Building

The Kerala High Court instructed the Ernakulam District Collector to provide a timeline for flood mitigation work near the High Court building. Senior Government Pleader S Kannan informed Justice Devan Ramachandran that although administrative sanction was granted, the work had not begun and the funds might need to be surrendered or reassigned. The Court rejected this, ordering that the funds not be surrendered or re-appropriated as of 2.30 pm.

The District Collector was also directed to verify when the necessary sanctions could be obtained and the project’s completion timeline. The Court emphasized the essential nature of the flood mitigation work.

The order stemmed from a 2018 petition addressing the blockage of the Perandoor canal in Cochin Corporation, which caused road flooding. Over the years, the Court has issued multiple orders to manage the city’s drainage and flood mitigation systems.

Given the recent heavy rains and rainfall alerts in Kerala, the Court revisited the case at the behest of all parties, emphasizing its commitment to regularly addressing the issue and focusing on the most critical aspects.

The Court directed the Ernakulam District Collector to file a status report on the Mullassery canal reconstruction with a specific timeline and to consult authorities on the delay in sanctioning the drainage canal construction from South Railway Station to the backwaters.

The Cochin Corporation’s Standing Counsel was instructed to ensure timely repair of suction machines for the drainage system, and the Senior Central Panel Counsel was tasked with getting the Railways to clean and restore the railway culverts.

The case will be reviewed again on May 24.

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