The first phase of Operation Anantha in Kerala has set a sterling example in tackling flooding in cities. Other States must also emulate the formula
The Chennai floods bear testimony to the need for an overhaul of the country’s drainage system, apart from its disaster preparedness. Operation Anantha is a forward-looking project conceived in 2015 to mitigate flooding in Thiruvananthapuram following incessant rains in the city.
As Chief Secretary of Kerala, I had launched Operation Anantha to equip the State capital to face floods and free it of illegal encroachments. The project has been successfully implemented in its first phase and has been an inspiration for all of Kerala. It is important to note that the total cost of Operation Anantha for the first phase was Rs37 crore and can be considered as a tiny fraction of post-disaster expenditure, for example in Tamil Nadu, where the Government required close to Rs5,000 crore to handle the flood situation and rehabilitation.
According to initial analyses, it was noted that once it rains in Thiruvananthapuram city, there is no way water could reach the larger river streams that connects to the sea. Additionally, major water bodies and the storm-water drains were either filled up or defunct due to encroachments, continuous negligence and dumping of waste. The city has infrastructure for 25cm of rains, but in recent years, even seven centimetres of rain was good enough to drown the city in flash floods. As a part of implementation of the operation, it was decided to reclaim the old storm-water drainage system that could handle 25cm of rains, instead of building new drains in a space-crunch capital city.
Operation Anantha had to face big resistance from both residents and commercial establishments initially. It should be noted that several people had filed petitions before a court to stay the proceedings of Operation Anantha. In some instances, some hard decisions had to be taken to pull down the shrines and temples at East Fort and Aryasala. Though the first phase of Operation Anantha was implemented successfully, there are some legal tangles in terms of stay orders and plea before the High Court. For instance, the Park Rajadhani case is pending before the High Court, and vacating it is not possible now.
The project’s success has resonated across the State. Close to 600 ponds and lakes in Kerala were cleaned and kilometres of encroachments on drainages across small and big cities along the roadside was cleared. This has led to the widening of the National Highway from two lanes to four lanes for a stretch of six kilometres, that was stalled for close to 30 years in Pallakad district (Mannarcaud). Also, in Kannur, the cleaning up and revival of large lakes has not only solved the issue of flooding during monsoon but also helped in improving the water table and reducing water shortage during the summer.
The second phase is likely to begin only after the formation of a new Government after the Assembly election. We shall know on May 19 who will assume power. One hopes the new regime takes the success forward.
The success of Operation Anantha had national scientific experts visiting the State to learn about disaster management and prevention of flooding in major cities, including Mumbai and Chennai, and other parts of the country. AK Sinha, Vice Chairman, Disaster Management Authority, Bihar, has also expressed an interest to duplicate Operation Anantha in Bihar, since this State too is vulnerable to flash floods that cause large-scale loss to lives and displacement of thousands of citizens. He has also sought a tie-up with Kerala for effective value addition in technology and manpower.
(The writer is former Chief Secretary of Kerala)