Posted on September 1, 2025
Kochi: Authorities have begun dredging in the Chilavannoor canal as part of a project to renovate the canals in Kochi. The removal of silt from the wide canal at Chilavannoor will solve the waterlogging issues in a large part of Kochi city and also enable water transport through the water body, said an official. Around 65,000 tonnes of mud will be dredged over the next six months.
“The ₹3,700-crore canal renovation project in Kochi is among the state government’s biggest development initiatives. It will change the face of Kochi,” said Industries Minister P Rajeev. The project can also create a new path for water transport along the Chilavannoor canal, he added.
Work on a bridge being constructed on the bund road as part of the project is scheduled to be completed in December and tender procedures to beautify 500 m of the bund road along the canal have also started. Facilities for tourism, recreation wand water sports will be arranged in the area. A detailed project report to build two boat jetties and develop the Mangalavanam has also been submitted.
The silt accumulated in the Chilavannoor canal and the lack of width for the Chettichira culvert on the Subhas Chandra Bose Road have been cited as the causes for waterlogging in the area from the stadium to the southern part of Kochi city. Chilavannoor canal has a width of over 300 m along most of its stretch.
Authorities said that tenders will also be invited soon to demolish the Chettichira culvert and construct a wider structure. The work to develop the six canals in Kochi has been launched with ₹3,716.10 crore allotted by KIIFB (Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board).
