Kochi’s stormwater drainage network to be mapped using GIS under AMRUT scheme

The stormwater drainage network in Kochi Corporation in Kerala will be mapped using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) to identify and rectify bottlenecks that cause flooding in the city.

The AMRUT mission director signed an agreement with Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd. (ULCCS) for the execution of the project, estimated at ₹1.18 crore, on February 28, 2026. The project is being implemented across all six Corporations. While work has started in other locations, it is yet to begin in Kochi owing to delays in sanctioning the advance payment of 20%, amounting to to ₹23.67 lakh, of the total project cost.

The advance sanction given by the Mayor has been placed for approval at the next meeting of the council.

ULCCS remains confident of completing the mapping within two months once the work begins. “The mapping will be carried out using Differential GPS technology with four devices and relying on multiple satellite imageries to ensure sub-metre spatial accuracy. This will be matched with the inputs from the Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) maintained in the State. The stormwater map will be made available on an online platform, facilitating its extrapolation to the map of the Kochi city,” ULCCS sources said.

Essential data

The project is considered critical for identifying stormwater drainage lines in the city and the blocks that lead to flooding. With Kochi being an unplanned city, this is considered as essential data required to rectify issues caused by unscientific construction of drains. Such a data is also needed to construct new drains connected to the existing network.

“In many places, stormwater drains have been encroached upon by buildings, disrupting flow. Also, in several stretches, drains have even been constructed against the natural gradient, which hampers the smooth discharge of water into the sea. GIS mapping will help identify all such problems and help Corporation take corrective action,” sources added.