Why dredging of Thuthapuzha riverbed sparks fear among residents of Thiruvegappura
Thiruvegappura residents fear riverbed dredging for the Moothikkayam project will collapse banks, homes and roads. They petitioned officials, alleging authorities are hiding bridge construction lapses under a false pretext.
Thiruvegappura residents fear riverbed dredging for the Moothikkayam project will collapse banks, homes and roads. They petitioned officials, alleging authorities are hiding bridge construction lapses under a false pretext.
Thiruvegappura residents fear riverbed dredging for the Moothikkayam project will collapse banks, homes and roads. They petitioned officials, alleging authorities are hiding bridge construction lapses under a false pretext.
Thiruvegappura: A move by authorities to deepen the Thuthapuzha riverbed under the banner of the Moothikkayam Lift Irrigation Project has triggered serious apprehension among local residents. The planned dredging is concentrated near the Moothikkayam regulator-cum-bridge, an infrastructure project connecting the Thiruvegappura and Irimbiliyam panchayats at the Nedungottoor–Moothikkayam ferry point, which is currently in its final stages of completion.
Locals fear that dredging below the regulator could have catastrophic consequences. When the river runs in spate during the monsoon, the weakened riverbanks along the slopes of Vengad Hill, along with nearby homes, roads, and an irrigation canal, risk caving into the deep waters below.
The canal project, first launched five decades ago, was revived in 2012. To ensure an adequate water supply, construction of the Moothikkayam regulator-cum-bridge began in 2020. The project’s reservoir is situated just 120 meters from the canal pump house, which means, logically, the next step is merely to lay the connecting pipelines. Instead, residents claim authorities are floating a false narrative, alleging that construction debris and sand were dumped into the river pool, solely as a pretext to dredge beneath the bridge.
Locals allege that this is an attempt to cover up structural lapses in the bridge’s construction. Official records show that contractors had already cleared out the excavated soil and silt back in 2024. Given the risks, residents have submitted formal petitions to the Chief Minister, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), and the District Collector, urging officials to scrap the hazardous dredging operation and instead expedite the pipeline installation to the pump house.