Heavy downpour and waterlogging haunt Kerala capital, IMD revises rain updates

A day after the commercial hub of Kochi was inundated due to incessant downpour, heavy waterlogging and continuous rains battered normal life in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

Though there have been moderate rains here since morning, incessant heavy rains lashed various parts of the state capital in the afternoon, leading to sudden waterlogging on busy roads and narrow lanes alike. The inundation caused trouble for people who had to go to the railway station and bus stands located in the heart of the city. Rainwater entered shops and commercial establishments in the busy Chalai market and at the SS Kovil road area. Cars and two-wheelers could be seen moving slowly through the inundated roads, and passersby were seen stuck midway, unable to move forward. 

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department revised its rain updates and sounded an orange alert in seven districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Idukki. The districts of Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, and Kozhikode were placed under yellow alert, according to the latest IMD update. 

Continuous downpour and gusty winds in the last two days caused widespread destruction and crippled normal life in coastal Alappuzha district as well. Low-lying areas were submerged, and flood water entered several houses in various parts of the district, including Champakulam, Nedumudy, Kainakari, and so on. Heavy waterlogging caused troubles in the Kayamkulam, Haripad, Cherthala, and Kandalloor areas. The front portion of a tiled-roof house collapsed at Ambalapuzha in Alappuzha district due to gusty winds. 

The roof of another house was completely damaged at Thalavady in Alappuzha following heavy rains and winds. Over 5,000 chickens died as flood water entered a poultry farm in nearby Kattakkada in Thiruvananthapuram. Potholes filled with water posed hurdles for smooth traffic on many national highways across the state. 

With flood water receding in Kochi and its suburbs, residents began cleaning their homes today. Kochi city and adjacent Kalamassery and Kakkanad localities received extremely heavy rainfall, causing widespread inundation and traffic snarls on Tuesday. Flood water had entered over 100 houses in the Kalamassery locality. Though experts at the Cochin University of Science and Technology have cited cloudburst as the reason for the extreme rainfall, the IMD is yet to officially confirm it. 

According to the Disaster Management Authority, 2,054 persons belonging to 666 families have been shifted to 34 relief camps across the state so far. A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm, and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.