Uncontrolled encroachments choke veins of Kottar waterway

ACTIVISTS are calling for immediate restoration of the Kottar channel in Nagercoil city, claiming that the loss of a significant portion of the natural waterway, primarily due to encroachment along its banks, might hinder groundwater table recharge and flood mitigation in the region.

- M ABDUL RABI @ Kanniyakumari

Till a few decades ago, the water channel had been the lifeline for the irrigation of several acres of farmland in Kottar region; in its stead, many residential buildings and commercial establishments have cropped up over the years, resulting in a substantial loss along the downstream of the waterway.

A distributary of Ananthanar channel, the Kottar channel — managed by the Water Resources Department (WRD) — originates at Kezha Vannanvilai in Vallankumaravilai area, flows through Kezha Charakkalvilai, Vattavilai, and Vaithianathapuram, and ends at Chettikulam region in Nagercoil.