Suresh Gopi calls for a master plan to tackle Thrissur city’s waterlogging 

Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi has called for a comprehensive Master Plan to tackle the recurring issue of waterlogging in Thrissur city during the monsoon season. After visiting some of the flood-hit areas at Peringavu recently. Mr. Gopi stressed the need for a long-term and scientific solution for the issue.

To ensure a permanent solution, the Minister stated that he would seek the opinion of Dr. K.G. Padmakumar, a key member of the expert committee once led by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, who had prepared a well-regarded report addressing the flooding issue in Kuttanad.

He also referred to a two-decade-old report prepared by the Retired Engineer Narayana Swami Committee and recommended that its suggestions be updated and integrated with modern solutions suited to today’s urban challenges.

“Encroachments on drainage channels must be removed, and the depth and width of the city’s canals should be increased to facilitate smooth water flow,” he said. The Minister said he will meet the Mayor and request a digital survey of the drainage system.

As part of immediate relief measures, Mr. Gopi offered a fibre boat and two stretchers from the MP fund for rescue operations during heavy floods.

Residents raised concerns about poor pre-monsoon cleaning, alleging that desilting and clearing of canals are often done only when the rains begin—and even then, only the weeds along the banks are cleared, not the channels themselves.

Published - June 08, 2025 06:42 pm IST