Waterlogging returns as rain lashes Kochi
The downpour began on Friday and intensified on Saturday, accompanied by strong winds, inundating major city roads and low-lying areas. Murky water entered homes and shops, affecting business operations and residents.
Several key areas, including Edappally Toll, Ernakulam North and South, Panampilly Nagar, Vennala, Kathrikadavu, Padma and KSRTC depot, were affected. Shopkeepers at MG Road at the heart of the city had to drain out water from their premises following intense showers.
"This is the worst waterlogging we've seen this monsoon. We had hoped that canal rejuvenation under Operation Breakthrough and drain cleaning would prevent this. But Saturday's high tide and rains proved otherwise," said Manoj Panakkal, a trader at Padma Junction.
Opposition councillors criticized the city administration, calling the situation an example of poor planning. "Despite allocating Rs 10 crore for flood mitigation projects, key works like dredging of the Thevara–Perandoor canal remain incomplete even during the monsoon," said Antony Kureethara, opposition leader in the corporation.
MG Aristotle, UDF parliamentary party secretary, added that canal rehabilitation projects have made no headway.
"It remains only on paper, with not a single cent of land acquired or encroachments cleared, highlighting administrative inefficiency."
Mayor M Anilkumar attributed the flooding to continuous, intense rainfall coinciding with a high tide. "Intermittent rain turned into a downpour lasting 2–3 hours.
Our water pump also developed a technical issue and couldn't be used to dewater key areas," he said.
Rural Ernakulam also faced heavy rains. A relief camp was opened in North Paravur taluk after waterlogging in Kizhakkumpuram, Chendamangalam panchayat. On Saturday, 10 more houses were damaged; nine were reported damaged on Friday. Strong winds uprooted trees across the district, including one that fell on a parked bus in Thoppumpady — no injuries were reported.
By evening, the Muvattupuzha river crossed warning levels. Authorities issued alerts for potential landslides, mudslips and uprooting of trees. Travel at night was banned in hilly areas. Coastal regions like Chellanam also suffered as sea surges flooded roads in Kannamali, Cherya Kadavu Company Padi and nearby areas. "The situation may worsen. Authorities must act promptly," warned VT Sebastian, Convenor of the Chellanam-Kochi People's Forum.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
453 roads closed in Himachal as heavy rain continues, Mandi receives over 150 mm of rainfall
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district received more than 150 mm of rainfall in the past 12 hours with cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods battering the region, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) informed on Tuesday. As heavy rains continue to lash the state, 453 roads including four national highways have been closed for vehicular traffic, it said adding that road connectivity between Kullu and Mandi districts has been obstructed due to landslides. The highest number of closed roads, 321, are in Mandi followed by 68 in Kullu district. Mandi-Jogindernagar road (NH 154), Mandi-Kullu road (NH 21), Mandi-Dharampur road (NH 3) and Aut to Sainj road (NH 305) were closed for vehicular movement on Monday, the SEOC added. The NH 21 Mandi to Kullu is blocked at nine mile and Pandoh. The alternate route from Mandi to Kullu via Kamand is blocked at Baragal Nalla with a large number of vehicles are stranded en route. Restoration works are underway, officials said. Water entered a few houses in Dadur area of Balh valley in Mandi district due to absence of proper drainage on Kiratpur-Manali four lane, reports reaching here said. "Every year water floods nearby houses in absence of a proper drainage system and despite local administration and National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) authorities being appraised several times nothing has been done so far except formality", resident Sunil Kumar said. A drain in Mehatpur town of the Una district overflowed due to sudden floods after heavy rains swept away a person trying to cross the drain. The person is yet to be identified. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team is engaged in search and rescue operations. However, no clue of the missing person is found so far. Around 375 hectares of fields have been flooded in Una district alone, due to which other seasonal crops including maize have been completely destroyed, Deputy Director Agriculture (Una) Kuldip Dhiman said. River Beas, its tributaries and other drains are in spate and the Hamirpur and Una administration has warned the people not to go near the river and other drains. The meteorological department has issued an orange alert for very heavy rain at isolated places in four districts -- Una, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur on Tuesday. A 'yellow' warning for heavy rains in isolated areas in two to three districts has been issued for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Moderate to heavy rains lashed several parts of the state with Mandi receiving 151.2 mm of rainfall and since Monday evening. It is followed by 104.8 mm in Baggi, 84.1 mm in Sundernagar, 83 mm in Murari Devi, 78 mm in Nadaun, 72 mm in Gohar, 56.3 mm in Karsog, 55.8 mm in Palampur and 53 mm in Pandoh. Since the onset of monsoon on June 20, the state has incurred losses totalling to Rs 1,753 crore till date. Around 106 people have died in rain-related incidents while 36 are missing. Additionally, 753 power distribution transformers and 276 water supply schemes have been affected, the SEOC added. As many as 1,692 houses have been fully or partially damaged in Himachal Pradesh, which has witnessed 54 flash floods, 28 cloudbursts and 48 major landslides so far. The fatalities include 20 drownings, 19 deaths from falls, 17 deaths from cloudbursts, eight from flash floods, and six from landslides, it said.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Indian Express
Heavy rain cripples Himachal's Mandi; over 300 roads, including 2 highways, blocked, schools closed
Torrential rains lashed Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district on Tuesday morning, triggering over a dozen fresh landslides and aggravating the already fragile situation in several disaster-affected areas, including Seraj. Normal life came to a grinding halt as at least 331 roads were reported blocked across the district, including two major National Highways — NH-21 (Mandi-Kullu) near 9 Mile close to the ropeway, and NH-003 (Mandi-Dharampur), obstructed at Kenchi Mod. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Shimla has already issued an orange alert predicting heavy rainfall in Mandi on Tuesday. Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan told The Indian Express that restoration work had barely kept pace with the damage. 'Of the 331 roads blocked today, 148 had just been reopened yesterday by the Public Works Department (PWD) and other departments. The relentless rainfall has undone much of the progress,' he said. Meanwhile, the number of disrupted electricity lines jumped dramatically to 657 on Tuesday from 22 the previous day. Similarly, 86 water supply schemes also remained non-functional across the district, Devgan said. Seraj division was worst-hit, with 122 roads blocked, followed by 56 in Thalout, 55 in Karsog, 35 in Dharampur, and smaller numbers in other divisions, including Mandi II (12), Padhar (10), Gohar (10), Nerchowk (14), Sarkaghat (12), Sundernagar (1), and Jogindernagar (2), Devgan said. Owing to the incessant rainfall and worsening conditions, all government and private schools in Sundernagar subdivision were ordered shut for the day as a precautionary measure. Hydropower authorities have also issued critical warnings and opened the spillway gates of Koldam Hydropower Station at 8.45 am to discharge excess water. As the water level in the Koldam river is expected to rise by 4-5 metres, residents and tourists have been warned to stay away from the river banks. Due to the rising water levels in the Beas River, the Pandoh Dam has also started releasing water from its spillway gates. Authorities are using hooters and public address systems to alert the public and prevent any untoward incidents, said an officer. Disaster management teams remain on high alert as the situation continues to evolve. So far, the total loss caused by flash-floods and torrential rain in the state has touched Rs 1,753.63 crore, while 106 people have lost their lives in landslides, cloudbursts, and flash-floods in the last one-and-a-half months, according to the Revenue Department records.
New Indian Express
9 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Himachal rains: 453 roads blocked across state, total loss touches Rs 1,700 crore
CHANDIGARH: Heavy downpour since Monday evening triggered widespread landslides and flooding across Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh, blocking the Kiratpur-Manali National Highway and several other roads and disrupting day to day life. A total of 453 roads including four national highways closed across the state. Till now, 192 persons have lost their lives in landslides, cloudbursts, flashfloods and 301 are injured. The total loss caused by flashfloods and torrential rain in the state has touched Rs 1,753.63 crore. As per the state emergency operation centre, as on Tuesday morning, 449 roads and four national highways were blocked across the state. Of these, 318 roads and three national highways are in Mandi district, 67 roads and one national highways in Kullu district, 23 roads in Kangra district, 22 roads in Sirmour district, ten roads in Una district, four each in Bilaspur and Chamba districts and one in Shimla. Additionally, 753 electricity transformers have been damaged and 276 water supply schemes disrupted. The Public Works Department suffered a loss of Rs 880 crore, followed by the Jal Shakti Department at Rs 618 crore, horticulture sector Rs 27.43 crore and the agriculture sector Rs 11.45 crore.
