THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Heavy rain flooded the city on Tuesday morning with water entering major roads and housing areas in Attakulangara, Muttathara, Pattom and other key regions. The overnight rain showed no sign of stopping till 10 in the morning. The reprieve was shortlived as heavy downpour began again by evening with the district now under orange alert. Muttathara has been a constant location of flooding owing to lack of silt clearance in the Thekkenekkara canal and Kariyil Thodu which flow to the Parvathy Puthanar.
“The silt clearance of Thekkenekkara canal in Muttathara has not been done properly which is the responsibility of the minor irrigation wing. The by-pass work has also caused some blocks in the drain with concrete deposits forming here. Water entered many houses here,” said I P Binu, health standing committee chairperson, city corporation.
In Attakulangara, the region floods often despite the huge drains made during the first phase of Operation Anantha. “The rather deep drains of Operation Anantha are all filled with sacks of meat waste. We remove the waste often. But the fact that these drains are repeatedly filled with waste despite us removing it causes flooding here,” said a corporation official. Mayor K Sreekumar and District Collector Navjot Khosa visited the affected regions.
Meanwhile, the shutters of Neyyar dam remain open with the water level now at 80.60 metre. By noon on Tuesday, all four shutters were raised by 15 cm owing to heavy inflow of water. Areas of Nedumangad region which is downstream of Aruvikkara barrage were also affected. “The evening was considerably calm. In the rain last night two houses here were completely destroyed. We have a camp in Thiruppani in Tholicode village which houses three families. The Aruvikkara dam which falls under the taluk is being opened intermittently. As of now, the situation is under control,” said Anil Kumar, Nedumangad tahsildar.