Kochi gets brief respite after a week of heavy rain

The Hindu

2 days ago

After a week of heavy rain, Kochi and nearby areas got some respite on Saturday (May 31) as the downpour began to ease.
An intense spell of heavy showers in the morning had prompted the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to upgrade the alert from yellow to orange. However, the intensity later dropped, and the rain eventually stopped.
Although the rain had eased, the district administration still had to open one relief camp each in Kochi and Kanayannur taluks to accommodate 11 affected families. Eight families affected by seawater intrusion were shifted to the relief camp in Kochi taluk, while three families from waterlogged homes in Vazhakkala were moved to the camp in Kanayannur.
Meanwhile, the body of Nikhil, 32, of Cherai, was recovered from Veeranpuzha on Saturday morning. He had gone missing on May 29 amid heavy rain after his country boat capsized. His body was found about a kilometre from where he went missing. All others on the boat were rescued.
Water levels in major canals in the city, which had nearly crossed the flood mark, receded as the rain intensity dropped and the alert was scaled down from orange. Among the canals, the relatively narrow Vivekananda Canal in the heart of the city and its surrounding areas remains the biggest concern. The major irrigation department has submitted an estimate to the district administration for urgent cleanup of the canal. Currently, water from the Vivekananda Canal is being pumped into the Mullassery Canal, the restoration works of which remain about 80% complete.
Though the restoration works has improved flow in the Mullassery Canal, the additional influx from the Vivekananda Canal and even from unidentified drainage networks poses a fresh threat.
Areas near the Ernakulam South railway station, KSRTC bus stand, Vivekananda Road, and surrounding localities continue to experience intermittent waterlogging. Desilting of the Thevara–Perandoor Canal also gained momentum as the rain subsided.
In the coastal belt, Chellanam panchayat is still facing the impact of heavy rain and two high tides every day. 'Of the nearly 3,000 households between Puthanthodu and Beach Road in the panchayat, almost half are at risk of flooding from the sea, and water has already entered around 300 homes,' said V. T. Sebastian, general convener of the Chellanam Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi.