The tender for the rehabilitation of the remaining part of the Mullassery Canal will be opened this week

The Minor Irrigation Department is exploring restoration of the remaining 175-metre stretch of the Mullassery Canal under ‘Operation Breakthrough’ within six months, even as the tender for the ₹4.80 crore project using precast technology is set to be opened on March 12.

Of the total length of the canal of 829 metres, the stretch up to Chittoor Road was repaired last September using the in-situ method, where concrete structures are cast on site. With the project already experiencing significant delays, the department opted for prefabricated technology to avoid further setbacks and lengthy road closures. This method involves pouring and transporting concrete structures off-site for immediate installation, eliminating lengthy excavation work.

“The remaining stretch will be repaired in three phases: from Chittoor Road to MG Road, along MG Road near the Metro pillar and the last 34 meters along AK Seshadri Road. Roadblocks will be minimal and the excavated portions will be repaired with interlocking tiles,” department sources said.

The pending part has been treated as a separate project, with administrative and technical sanctions imposed before the tender is issued. This was necessary because the previous contractor used the in-situ method, while the remaining section will be carried out with prefabricated technology.

The reinforced prefab concrete structures entail higher costs, which, together with rate revisions, are included in the estimate. The calculation also takes into account savings from previous work. Of the total project cost of ₹12 crore, around ₹8 crore worth of work has already been completed. The full benefit of the Mullassery Canal rehabilitation in preventing flooding will only be realized after the remaining stretch is completed, which is crucial to ensuring smooth water flow.

The project has already faced inordinate delays and has been repeatedly criticized by the Kerala High Court. Last February, the court ordered authorities to complete the restoration within three months. At a meeting chaired by then Mayor M. Anilkumar and attended by the District Collector, Operation Breakthrough, a flagship initiative to tackle waterlogging in Kochi, was also discussed and an ultimatum was given to the Irrigation Department to complete the work on the canal.