Alappuzha Canal Rejuvenation Project

The people who lived in Alappuzha, Kerala, used the canals as a part of daily life. The Alappuzha Canals lost their individuality and drifted away from daily human activity ever since the modernization of people's lifestyles and the use of plastics, among other things, became unavoidable. This is due to the fact that the canals are filled with trash, plastic, connected sewage lines to the canals, etc. The Alappuzha Heritage Project was started by the Kerala Government, and Dr. T. M. Thomas Issac is one of the project's key driving forces. The main goal of this project is to clean up the Alappuzha canal and return it to the locals.

Young Alappuzha students recorded and edited this movie as part of the "Canals are Not Drains" campaign, which asked residents to share their opinions and range of feelings towards the canal. The Alappuzha canals are intended to be cleaned and revitalised in order to enhance the town's surroundings and eventually the lives of its residents.

A broader youth-led institution by the name of CANALPY has helped train hundreds of local volunteers on surveys using smart mobile applications that facilitated analysis and action on issues related to solid and liquid waste management; relief and rehabilitation during floods in 2018; and post-disaster studies of disease monitoring, flood mapping, and participatory biodiversity conservation. It has also opened up a line of communication and cooperation between various public and private institutions.

The video has been shot and edited by young students of Alappuzha.

Acknowledgements: Canalply, IIT Bombay, & KILA.