Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday assured in the state assembly that the government will take time bound steps, including formulating a project, to protect the region around the Vembanad lake from being flooded during the rains.
Radhakrishnan said that since the lake does not have the capacity to hold that much water, it overflows and as there is no place for the water to go, the nearby areas get completely flooded.
He said that the problem is due to the reason that water is not properly flowing into the sea from the lake. “It affects Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts and parts of Ernakulam district.
The CM said that it was an issue which affects most of south-central Kerala and not just Kottayam district. It gets collected in many places,” he said. “It is a serious environmental issue and I assure the House that the government will address it on a priority basis by holding discussions to formulate a well-planned project, with a long term view, for renovation of the Vembanad lake and protect the region around it from flooding during the rains,” Satheesan said in the assembly. He further said that all this will be carried out in a time bound manner. Meanwhile, Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar and Water Resources Minister Mons Joseph told the assembly that the government was taking steps to undertake mining of sand from rivers and lakes in the state and the process is expected to be completed soon. “So, the removal of sand will commence by December this year or January 2027,” Anilkumar said.
