New lease of life for Andhakara thodu

TRIPUNITHURA: Andhakara thodu, which was aptly named as the Canal of Darkness because of lack of lights for many years, got a ray of hope as the renovation and beautification works of the canal has been progressing at a fast pace.
The canal will get 87 heritage electric lamp posts and walker-friendly roads along the sides of the waterbody in a couple of months.
“Around 70% of the total renovation works of the 2,170-m long canal has been completed. As the canal has an access to the proposed Water Metro through Vembanad lake, it can act as a crucial link between the royal town and other tourist spots,’’ said MLA K Babu.
He said the beautification of the footpaths and removal of water hyacinths from the canal were going on war footing.
“This included tiled walkways, boat jetty and strong fencing on the sides to prevent waste dumping from the road,’’ Babu said.
Though the development of the canal worth Rs 8 crore was announces, it largely remained on paper.
This canal was the lifeline to link Tripunithura market with Kochi and other parts lying close to Vembanad Lake.
“Huge country boats carrying tonnes of vegetables, rice and other provisions used this canal to reach the market and also to take goods from Tripunithura market to other places of the state,’’ recalls 83-year-old Vasudevan, a trader at Tripunithura market.
Around 63 out of 87 decorative lamp posts were installed along the side of the canal having broad tiled walkway.
“This well-lit walkways can be used for morning and evening walk. The proposed kiosks at the walkway will also provide job opportunities, especially for Kudumbashree units,’’ he said.