THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The district continued to reel under the impact of heavy rain and strong winds on Tuesday, despite only a yellow alert being in place. Rainfall began early in the morning and persisted through the day, causing widespread disruption and damage across the city and rural areas.
Trees were uprooted in several parts of the city, leading to property damage and blocked roads. In Kallara, massive rocks fell onto the road, disrupting traffic. In Venganoor, a well collapsed following the downpour. The structure had shown minor cracks earlier, but the intense rain led to its complete failure.
Meanwhile, in Kalloopara, Vithura, a large tree fell across the road, disrupting vehicular movement. Waterlogging was reported in multiple low-lying areas. The Suryakanthi bridge in Chettachal and the Ponnamchundu bridge in Chellanchy have been submerged due to rising water levels. Along the coast, severe erosion has been observed at Anchuthengu, with turbulent seas reported at Thumba, Arattuvazhi, Puthenthope, and St Andrews.
Fishermen have stayed ashore for several weeks due to dangerous sea conditions, with massive waves and gusty winds making fishing impossible. As rainfall continues in the catchment areas around Aruvikkara Dam, shutters 1 to 5 were raised by another 20cm at 2pm on Tuesday — bringing the total lift to 200 cm. The Disaster Management Authority has issued a flood warning as river levels continue to rise. A yellow alert is now in effect for the Vamanapuram River, and people living near riverbanks have been asked to stay vigilant.
Warnings have also been issued against venturing into the sea. The National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has predicted sea waves between 3.5 and 4.0 metres, along with severe coastal erosion from Kappil to Pozhiyoor until 8.30pm on Wednesday.
A red alert has been issued along the coast. Two relief camps have been set up in the district so far, housing 11 people from four displaced families.
Over 100 houses have been damaged by falling trees. The hilly regions have suffered significant agricultural losses, with 2,658.65 hectares of crops destroyed, affecting 5,875 farmers.