THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Incessant rain continues to aggravate waterlogging in Thampanoor, bringing hassles to COVID containment efforts. The health centre in Rajaji Nagar colony has been water logged and the authorities are now looking for a new place to do the tests.
"Without the drainage works getting completed on SS Kovil Road as well as near the railway station, waterlogging in Thampanoor will persist. In SS Kovil Road, the construction work of the drainage has been going on for one-and-a-half years now. Many hurdles had to be tackled and now there are cables where the pits are dug. No one is taking ownership of the cables," said Thampanoor councillor MV Jayalakshmi.
The stormwater drainage built here is done under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) project. The cleaning and expansion of drainages adjacent to the railway lane is also necessary for the efforts to pay off.
"Another major issue is the dumping of waste. Despite repeated cleaning, the waste dumped in Amayizhanjan canal clogs the drain in many places causing water to overflow. In Rajaji Nagar colony, in particular, the major issue we are facing now is that the health centre is inside the colony and one of the first places where water enters as soon as the rain intensifies," Jayalakshmi said.
The delay in the second phase of Operation Anantha by which the existing drains will get more depth in the stretch is also a major reason for the continued flooding.