Development of Kovalam waterway mooted

A techno-economic feasibility study and hydrographic surveys carried out by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) has favoured the development of the 41-km Kovalam-Kolachel stretch as an extension of the West Coast Canal (WCC) as it can provide north-south connection from Kasaragod to Kanyakumari and an alternate mode of transport.

It has been found that development of the stretch would be economically beneficial and has vast tourism and employment potential. The inland water transport system can be boosted as a substantial portion of goods movement from various parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala can be diverted through the canal.

The study was undertaken by NATPAC at the instance of the Inland Waterways Authority of India of Union Ministry of Shipping for further extending National Waterway III. The report will be submitted soon to the IWAI the NATPAC director, T Elangovan, said.

The Kovalam-Kolachel canal, popularly known as Ananda Victoria Marthandam (AVM) canal, has suffered encroachment and shrunk. In some places it has been completely filled with coconut trees.

The waterway forms a part of the AVM canal which was operational from Mandakkad to Poovar 30 years ago. At present, the canal has an average width of 18 metres from Manadakkad up to Kolachel.

The canal area has been encroached by local people up to Simon Bridge for about 200 metres. Thereafter, for about 10 to 12 km, the entire canal seems to have been reclaimed and put to use, leaving no sign of the canal's existence. There is no canal at present from Poovar to Kovalam.

It was found that the first 14 km stretch of the AVM Canal between Kolachel and Thengapatnam has been encroached by settlers. The canal portion is fully occupied by built-up structures.

Between the 19-km stretch extending from Thengapatnam and Poovar, the canal has varying bottom width and depth. The section needs widening and dredging to make it navigable.

The average width of the canal at narrow sections is about eight metres, with one metre depth of water. The bottom width of the waterway is 150 metres, with an average depth of four metres at the Poovar river-mouth, the Thamirabarani river-mouth at Thengapatnam and at Poonthurai.

The development of the Kolachel port on international lines would enable the movement of cargo to various places. Once the port is functional, it would become a major international transshipment centre.

The important tourist destinations such as Kanyakumari, Suchindram, Kovalam, Varkala, Kollam, Alappuzha and Kochi can be linked by the waterway, the study points out. It will also provide direct link to religious centres such as Varkala, Beemapally, Kollamcode and Mandakkad.

The waterway parallel to the existing seacoast and coastal road could serve as an alternate mode of transport.

At a time when water scarcity is a serious problem in the coastal area, the study reveals that there was no intrusion of salt water from the sea into the groundwater table when the canal was in existence. Rehabilitation of the waterway could save the coastal aquifer from salination.

Irrigation facilities would improve on the revival of the project since it could link major rivers such as Neyyar and Tamirabarani. A good canal linking system with the rivers could be established with the rivers in the locality.

Regarding employment generation, the study reveals that for every Rs 10-lakh of investment made in waterway development, 45 new jobs are created in tourism-related activity. Additional employment in ancillary industries and service units would be created for every case of direct employment.

The proposed canal from Kasaragod to Kanyakumari would serve as alternative mode of transport for movement of non-perishable bulk cargo and passengers. Surface transport systems have reached the limits of their capacities and augmentation of the road system required huge investment and long gestation period.

Nearly, 24 per cent of the cargo being transported by road could be diverted onto water transport once the canal becomes operational, the study says. Petroleum products can be transported through the waterway as it is easier, cheaper and environmentally safer.

For extension of the National Waterway's Kollam-Kovalam stretch, detailed project reports had been sent to the Union Government along TS Canal, the NATPAC director said