KIIFB clears ₹103.73 crore plan to revive Pazhukkanila Lake

After years of silt accumulation and ecological stress, the Pazhukkanila Lake in Kottayam where the Kodoor and Meenachil rivers converge with the Vembanad lake is set for a revival.

Under the second Kuttanad Package, the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) has approved a ₹103.73 crore project to revive Pazhukkanila Lake through large scale desilting, while simultaneously unlocking new development possibilities for the Malarikkal Ambal (waterlily) village.

An extension of the Vembanad backwaters, Pazhukkanila Lake lies along the fringes of Thiruvaarppu Panchayat and Kottayam municipality. Years of unchecked silt accumulation had steadily choked the lake, threatening both its ecological balance and the livelihoods dependent on it. The revival plan was first proposed in 2020.

At the heart of the project is the removal of nearly 3.68 lakh cubic metres of silt from the 1.62 sq km expanse of Pazhukkanila Lake.The silt will be used to reinforce 27.8 km of outer bunds protecting paddy fields in the J Block polders of Thiruvaarppu panchayat, as well as the Thiruvaykkari and F Block areas under Kottayam municipality. Once strengthened, these bunds will also become motorable, easing access to fields that have long remained difficult to reach.

Under the plan, satellite surveys will map the varying depths of the lake, allowing desilting to be carried out systematically, between depths of 1.75 m and 2.35 m, restoring the lake’s capacity without disturbing its natural contours.

According to K.Anil Kumar, convener of the Meenachil-Meenanthara-Kodoor river relinking programme, the desilting is expected to significantly reduce flooding on the western side of Kottayam during the monsoon, as excess water from the Kodoor and Meenachil rivers can flow into the lake more freely.

“For farmers, stronger bunds mean better protection for paddy fields, reduced risk of crop loss and the long awaited possibility of double cropping each year,”’he pointed out

Improved access roads atop the bunds will also transform farm logistics, enabling quicker transport of harvested paddy and easier movement of seeds, fertilisers and agricultural machinery. The proposed 14.5 km road bund also holds the promise of a new tourism corridor, opening up the backwaters for visitors and creating opportunities for water based recreation activities.

The river mouth at Pazhukkanila, which also houses a 200-year-old lighthouse, had served as a strategic point along the water route that connected the Kottayam region with the rest of Kerala for centuries. The waterway, however, remains unnavigable with trash and weeds holding sway along the riverbed, while the sedimentation has affected its aquatic life as well.