Kerala chief minister pledges timed project to curb Vembanad lake flooding

In a Kerala Legislative Assembly session, Chief Minister V D Satheesan assured members that the state will devise a time-bound project to protect the Vembanad lake region from monsoon flooding. He responded to Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan’s question about a coordinated plan, explaining that the lake cannot contain the combined discharge of five rivers, leading to overflow that inundates Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and parts of Ernakulam, especially the Kuttanad and Upper Kuttanad areas where agriculture is being ruined.

Satheesan pledged that the government will hold inter-ministerial discussions to formulate a long-term renovation scheme for the lake and implement it promptly. Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar and Water Resources Minister Mons Joseph said sand extraction from rivers and lakes, halted for years, will resume by December this year or January 2027 to restore river capacity. The ministers linked sediment buildup to recent severe floods in their constituencies, aiming to improve water discharge to the sea and reduce flood damage.