Two months into the southwest monsoon, the capital city has largely escaped the kind of widespread flooding and waterlogging that have plagued the urban areas in recent years. Between June 1 and July 31, the capital received 510.5 mm of rain, exceeding the historical average of 507.8 mm, which is one per cent more.
According to experts, the monsoon showers this season have been mostly intermittent and distributed, giving time for the stormwater to recede. Many felt that an open estuary at Veli ensured there was no flood in the capital.
In 2024, the same period saw 5 per cent above normal rainfall. According to weather experts, rain will get rough in the capital during the Northeast monsoon. In 2023, Thiruvananathapuram received 339.2 mm of rainfall, which was 27 per cent less compared to the historic average normal rainfall.
It has been almost a year since sanitation worker Joy tragically drowned while clearing waste from the Amayizhanjan canal near Thampanoor railway station. His death sparked intense scrutiny and legal intervention, including a directive from the Kerala State Human Rights Commission demanding action.
Following this, the Irrigation Department removed 1,500 cubic meters of silt and waste from the 117-m-long railway tunnel passing underneath the railway lines at Thampanoor. Around `65 lakh was spent on the work. An official of the Irrigation Department said desilting and deepening of the canal network at Pazhavangadi and Amayizhanchan have been undertaken multiple times.
“Dumping still continues in the canal, and it’s the responsibility of the city corporation to remove the floating waste. There was no continuous heavy rainfall, and there was no major flooding reported during the monsoon,” says the official.
"To deter continual dumping in canals, the Irrigation Department has floated tenders to install fencing along the Amayizhanjan canal. The `5.5 crore project will take off soon," said the official.
“Earlier, too, we set up fences to prevent dumping, but people cut it open and dumped waste. We will be going for covered fencing again, and the civic body will have to step up CCTV cameras and prevent waste dumping from happening,” the official adds.
According to city corporation authorities, the Veli estuary remains open, which has helped relieve excess surface water. Nevertheless, low‑lying areas such as Pettah, Oottukuzhi, Statue Junction, Enchakkal, and Kazhakkoottam saw minor flooding in some pockets.
Works standing committee chairperson Medayil Vikraman said that works ranging from `1 to `2 lakh were executed in every corporation ward as part of the pre-monsoon sanitation drive. “The rain was intermittent and not so heavy, hence there were very few complaints of waterlogging within the city limits. We have stepped up surveillance, and squads are active during the day and night to prevent dumping of waste in water bodies and public places,” said Medayil Vikraman.
He said the civic body has served notice on the railways to carry out a cleaning drive in canal networks passing via railway property. The clogged railway culvert and tonnes of waste released from railway properties are alleged to be behind the clogged canals and flooding at Thampanoor and East Fort area. “The civic body has no jurisdiction inside the railway premises,” he adds.
However, the residents are unhappy with pre-monsoon cleaning activities. “The entire cleaning operation is a farce; they do it for name’s sake,” says Jayadevan Nair, president, Federation of Residents’ Association, Thiruvananthapuram.
“The canal networks are clogged with garbage, and fortunately, there was no heavy rains, hence there was no major issue. It’s the responsibility of the government and local bodies to ensure that the drains and canals are cleaned up. They rush to do it just before the monsoon. Many areas continue to be vulnerable to flooding, and the upcoming northeast monsoon is when the rain becomes intense in the capital,” he says.