Perhaps nothing else infuriates city residents as much as urban waterlogging during monsoons. Over the past few years, all it took was a drizzle for the city’s main roads to turn into a cloggy mess. It seemed like an annual fixture.
This year, however, the city has largely seen fewer instances of waterlogging since the monsoon onset. Compared with previous years, the menace resurfaced only last weekend, when the city received sustained rainfall.
City residents and motorists point out that even on days when some roads were inundated, the water quickly drained away. Does that mean we have finally got a breakthrough?
“There was 60mm of rain one day (Saturday), and we witnessed flooding. Persistent rain for around three to four hours might have caused flooding in the city. Otherwise, the situation was better in general this time,” says Manoj Kumar, president of the Kerala Merchants Chamber of Commerce.
The Kerala High Court, too, recently lauded the corporation for effectively controlling waterlogging in the city, stating that inundation was under control except in a few spots. The court also sought a progress report from the state government on the rejuvenation work of the Mullassery Canal.
“The coordination between departments — corporation, district administration, revenue, PWD, and fire & safety — has helped in dealing with the situation,” says Mayor M Anilkumar, adding that the observations and directions from the High Court and amicus curiae contributed to the renewed efforts.
“We cleaned the drainages earlier to avoid the possibility of waterlogging, and only some works related to canal cleaning were left. Joint initiatives and efforts have helped us.”
Though a 7 per cent deficit from the ‘average normal rainfall’ (1,361), this year, Ernakulam district has so far received higher rainfall (1,268.6mm) than 2024 (1,059mm — 22 per cent deficit) and 2023 (993.7mm — 27 per cent deficit).
According to Manoj, the effectiveness of cleaning works carried out with the cooperation of multiple departments helped in managing waterlogging, and rain did not cause the level of damage seen in previous years.
Notably, the state Budget 2024–25 had allocated `10 crore for Operation Breakthrough, a project by the district administration to tackle flash floods in the city.
“We noted that the cleaning works were carried out properly in the city. This year, the fire and safety department also used pumps in a few areas to drain the water and avoid flooding. If the model is found to be successful, we can continue with such techniques and include them in future projects,” says Manoj.
“Now we have more funds. Using more machines and equipment rather than depending on manpower can help bring about a change.”
The corporation has two desilting machines and suction-cum-jetting machines, purchased using funds from the Cochin Smart Mission Limited, to clean the canals and drainages.
The health squad, trained and constituted for rapid response to emergencies, also worked efficiently, according to the mayor. “A trained health squad, focusing on preventing waterlogging, helped in clearing roads and areas when there was waterlogging and tree uprooting. The corporation’s sanitation workers and experts have been trained as part of the initiative,” he says.
The 160-member team was divided into four squads to monitor and work from four zones: Fort Kochi, Palluruthy, Vyttila, and Kochi Central.
Opposition leader Antony Kureethara, too, concurs that the “situation is better” than in previous years. But he quickly cautions that persistent rain — as seen over the last weekend — could still leave the city underwater.
“The problem is that we don’t have studies to find the root cause of the problem. We are continuously cleaning the drainage and canals. However, we need scientific measures to permanently solve the issue,” he says.
“If there is strong and sustained rain, we will still experience waterlogging despite all efforts. The funds made available should be used to ensure permanent solutions for the issues we are facing, not band-aid measures.”
Better Kochi Response Group S Gopakumar echoes the observation. “Whenever there is waterlogging or other issues, we somehow temporarily manage the situation,” he says.
“However, there are no technical reports on these issues. Only scientific studies can help implement a lasting solution.”
Antony alleges dredging of canals was not completed before the monsoon. “Lack of coordination between departments has left the canals in Kochi in a poor state,” he adds.
“The Andakara Canal in Tripunithura is an example of how encroachment and poor management can cause issues. Canals in the city should not be covered or blocked.”
Manoj also opines that there are issues with the design of the drainage. “Consulting the residents’ associations, local people, civic experts, etc., can help design the infrastructure in a better way,” he says.
The mayor maintained that the foremost solution to the waterlogging issue in the city is canal rejuvenation. “Also, we need to continue the activities of Operation Breakthrough. These activities are ongoing in the city,” says Anilkumar.
“The `3,716 crore Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System project, which includes revitalisation of six major canals — Edappally Canal, Perandoor Canal, Chilavanoor Canal, Thevara Canal, Market Canal, and Konthuruthy Canal — for inland transportation and tourism, has also been approved.”
In developed countries, Gopakumar highlights, even small canals are clean and navigable. “We need to develop such a system in Kochi. The officials and engineers should be more updated and aware about the techniques and technologies to prevent waterlogging and make the city more liveable,” he says.