THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It only took a couple of hours of heavy rain for Neyyattinkara town to be flooded again. With water entering shops near Alummoodu junction and obstructing traffic along the Thiruvananthapuram-Kaliyakkavilai state highway, it was a déja vu moment for the people. It’s hardly been a month since the town witnessed a similar flood following incessant rain in the region.
The Neyyattinkara municipality blamed the waste-clogged drains back then. After the last incident, the civic body spent a fortune cleaning up the drains. Residents allege that a few shops were built after closing drains. With the civic body allegedly looking the other way, there seems to be no end to waterlogging here. The rain which started pouring at 11 am continued till 1.30 pm, with water -level near Alummoodu junction remaining at knee -level the entire period and only receding after it stopped raining. Within one one month of cleaning, waste has again started to accumulate in the drains.
“Even though the drains were cleaned, their pathway is cut at a point. Where will the water go? When one structure was built by closing the drain, other structures also followed suit. The municipality too silently facilitated this. Waterlogging in the junction saw huge traffic congestion. The waste disposal too has not stopped. Despite being cleaned only recently, people still dump waste here. The drain’s pathway must be reestablished for water to flow freely,” said Sugunan S, a social worker and resident.
Neyyattinkara municipality chairperson WR Heeba said, “I was not in town when the rain happened. I was not able to evaluate the situation because of this. When I returned, the water-level had gone down. Cleaning up of the drains has created more awareness among people. A team from the municipality is looking into the issue. With regards to closing of drains in any part of town, we are not aware. However, we will look into it.”