Where trash once flowed; this canal in Kottayam now shines
With initiatives from the three-tier local bodies, including the creation of an open gym, the Omalloor village in Manjoor panchayat has emerged as a focal point of community attention.
With initiatives from the three-tier local bodies, including the creation of an open gym, the Omalloor village in Manjoor panchayat has emerged as a focal point of community attention.
With initiatives from the three-tier local bodies, including the creation of an open gym, the Omalloor village in Manjoor panchayat has emerged as a focal point of community attention.
Kuruppamthara/ Kottayam: Once choked with waste and overgrown with shrubs, the MVIP canal in Omalloor has been transformed into a clean community space and local tourist attraction, thanks to the efforts of local residents.
With initiatives from the three-tier local bodies, including the creation of an open gym, the Omalloor village in Manjoor panchayat has emerged as a focal point of community attention. Residents, under the banner of the We Can Service and Charitable Foundation, began cleaning the MVIP canal in April 2024. Within two months, the canal was cleared and beautified, setting the stage for the Summer Green – 2025 food festival.
The open gym, costing ₹10 lakh and included in the annual budget of the Uzhavoor block panchayat for 2025, has been completed. Work on the children’s park is scheduled to finish this month. Canal banks have been fortified to prevent caving by laying geotextile at a cost of ₹4 lakh under the Employment Guarantee Programme of Manjoor panchayat.
Tender procedures for a ₹15 lakh district panchayat project to clean the site and beautify the canal-side road with tiles have been completed, and efforts are underway to finish the work this month. Other facilities such as benches, landscaping, the open gym and solar lights, etc., jointly undertaken by the Foundation and local residents, are also nearing completion.
Once water flow in the canal is streamlined with the support of the three-tier panchayats, fibre boats will be introduced for children during the summer vacation. Shade trees have already been planted along the canal, and the Foundation remains active with several future projects, including a butterfly park. At present, the canal is cleaned twice a month on Sundays.
“Dumping waste in the MVIP canal was once common, and the banks were overrun with shrubs. With the removal of waste, people can now use the water. Various projects are being implemented with the support of the three-tier panchayats, MLA, and MP. With the establishment of the open gym, Omalloor is now frequented by many people in the mornings and evenings for exercise,” said Jaison Paliyil, General Convener.