Clean-up act: Plastic bottles and other materials being removed from Connolly Canal. People from all walks of life have volunteered to join the operation. | Photo Credit: K_RAGESH more-in Connolly Canal is now free of all kinds of solid waste after a 15-day effort by thousands of volunteers. Niravu Vengeri, which spearheaded Operation Connolly Canal, is moving to the next phase to protect what they have cleaned. As on Monday, 2,050 bags of solid waste were removed from the 11.2-km-long canal. The materials removed included liquor bottles, plastic bottles, footwear, plastic carry bags, and slaughter waste. By Tuesday evening, 500 more bags of non-biodegradable waste will be removed, said Babu Parambath, project coordinator, Niravu Vengeri. Operation Connolly Canal was one-of-its-kind initiative in which people from all walks of life simply flowed in to volunteer, having heard about the drive through the media. Government officials and people’s representatives offered good ground support too. “Some parts of the canal were completely covered by plastic bags, while it was plastic bottles at other places. The waste generated by chicken stalls packed in plastic bags with unbearable stench proved a challenge for the volunteers. There were also animal carcasses in the water,” Mr. Babu said. The volunteers had to dig out 600 bags of liquor bottles, even unopened ones, from the depths of the canal near Kundoopparamba. The stretch near Karaparamba Junction, the biggest challenge, has been kept for the last. Forest dept’s help sought “The sides of the canal are bushy and hence dangerous. There are pythons in this part, and we have requested the Forest Department to handle them while we clean the canal on Tuesday,” Mr. Babu added. The second phase of the project that involves dividing the canal into eight sectors and forming committees to protect each sector will begin on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management will study water in each sector and submit a report, based on which the State Pollution Control Board will take action against those who pollute the canal. However, all efforts to keep the canal will bear fruit only once the mouths of Korappuzha and Kallai are dredged to ensure free flow of water from and to the canal. The State government’s efforts to dredge the Kallayi estuary around a year ago did not succeed as no contractors came forward to take up the job. “The State has revived the project, and we will ensure that it takes off this time,” Mayor Thottathil Raveendran said.

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