THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The nearly 10-hour-long deluge that Thiruvananthapuram witnessed this weekend has exposed just how vulnerable the state capital is to extreme climatic events. Drains, canals, rivers, and lakes overflowed, swiftly inundating the city and leaving residents scrambling for shelter in the wee hours of Saturday.
One might wonder what led to this visible decline in urban infrastructure. It is a myriad of factors: a lack of coordination among various agencies, rampant encroachment, unscientific development, and widespread violations related to drains and water bodies. However, all of these issues can be traced back to one overarching problem: the rapid urbanisation the state capital has experienced in recent years.
Many parts of the city received over 200mm of rain on average, causing extensive property damage and flooding residential areas. The IT park in Kazhakoottam was submerged, raising concerns about ongoing development activities and roadworks in the vicinity.
“Have we not learned anything from the 2018 flood,” laments K G Thara, the former head of the state disaster management authority. “It’s been two decades since the Disaster Management Act came into effect. It is disheartening to see that the state still lay emphasis on responding to calamities rather than proactive preparation,” Thara adds.
According to her, it is high time the state does floodwater modelling to prepare for future calamities. “The natural waterways should be rejuvenated immediately. As part of Operation Anantha, a lot of work was undertaken towards this. Similar action should be taken on priority,” Thara says, adding, “We must act without any consideration to the political influence, money and muscle power that these violators may harbour.” She also highlights the lack of awareness among politicians, which, according to her, is exacerbating environmental crimes.
Recommendations on paper
Operation Anantha, launched in 2015, successfully mitigated recurring flash floods in the capital, particularly in the Thampanoor region. Unfortunately, subsequent governments and the change in leadership at the corporation council derailed the follow-up works. Former district collector Biju Prabhakar, who spearheaded the operation, tells TNIE that many of the interventions suggested then were crucial to mitigating future flooding but were never implemented.
The bureaucrat also sheds light on rampant waste dumping by organised gangs. This, he said, is clogging the canal network. “SS Kovil road is a trough because it is low-lying. We proposed to raise this area, but owing to local protest, it was never executed. Like this, there are several recommendations that remain only on paper,” Biju says.
After the heavy rain that caused flooding back in 2021, the irrigation department came up with proposals to desilt and improve the carrying capacity of the canal networks in the capital. According to official sources, the unscientific construction of a bridge across the canal at Kannamoola triggered the widespread flooding there.
“They built the bridge by constructing bunds and blocking the water flow. They should have been constructed the bridge without disrupting the natural flow of the drains. Hopefully, that structure will be cleared soon,” says an official with the irrigation department.
Kazhakoottam dilemma
According to Biju, the natural flow in the Thettiyar Canal at Kazhakoottam has been disrupted because of the unscientific construction of a bridge inside the Infosys campus. “The bridge was constructed by shrinking the canal width and disrupting the flow of water coming from the Kazhakoottam Market side. The bridge should be demolished and redesigned in a way that doesn’t disrupt the natural flow,” Biju says.
He also adds that unscientific construction of the flyover as part of the NH development is hindering the natural flow of stormwater. “There is no point in studying the flood situation during the dry season. We should be on the ground during heavy rains to identify the cause of flooding and take action based on it,” the officer adds.
Blame game
After the deluge, the entire government machinery, irrespective of departments, blamed the high tide for the flooding of the capital city. “A `140-crore project was proposed and administrative sanction was accorded for the permanent breakwater proposed at Veli. However, owing to local protests, the project didn’t take off. The flooding situation will never be mitigated without a solution at Veli backwater. Installation of flood gates was one of the three proposals in addition to the breakwater,” Biju adds
Now, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority is blaming the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for not providing accurate weather predictions. “The day when the extreme rain event happened, IMD issued a yellow alert. Because of this inaccurate prediction, we were unable to act accordingly,” say sources.
Hopes on ‘Sponge city’?
The city corporation has failed to implement an updated master plan for the city. It has remained in draft stage for nearly a decade. This plans places emphasis on a sponge city model for turning urban centres more flood resilient, reveals a senior city corporation official.
What is sponge city?
Sponge cities are urban areas designed with a permeable construction model that allows for the absorption and storage of rainwater.
The concept was introduced in China in the early 2000s to address surface-level flooding in urban areas.
Twin rivers