Latest news with #OperationBreakthrough
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Umesh named general education director; Priyanka is new Ernakulam collector
KOCHI: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, Ernakulam district collector N S K Umesh has been appointed director of general education, with additional charge as managing director of the Kerala Financial Corporation (KFC). Palakkad collector G Priyanka will replace Umesh as head of the Ernakulam district adminstration. Umesh's two-and-a-half-year tenure in Ernakulam was marked by high-pressure crises and active administrative intervention. A 2014-batch officer, Umesh took charge in March 2023, stepping in during one of the worst environmental emergencies in the district — the Brahmapuram dumpyard fire. The blaze, which caused widespread pollution and panic in Kochi city, was his first major challenge as collector. His handling of the crisis — including coordination with multiple departments, rapid deployment of fire control measures, and subsequent efforts to revamp the waste management system — won him praise and set the tone for a tenure defined by crisis management and developmental work. During his stint, he also dealt with critical situations such as the Kalamassery bomb blast and the Cusat stampede. His coordination of Operation Breakthrough, aimed at mitigating urban flooding in Kochi, was another key achievement. For these and other initiatives, Umesh received multiple recognitions — including the 'Best Collector' award from the state revenue survey department in 2024, the National Human Rights and Humanitarian Federation (NHRF) award in 2025, and the 'Best Election Officer' award for his conduct of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Flood threat looms in Kerala: Rivers overflow, dams opened; IMD issues warning
NEW DELHI: Heavy rains and strong winds continued to lash parts of Kerala on Sunday, forcing authorities to open dam shutters and issue flood alerts across multiple districts. Rising river levels, uprooted trees, and power outages were reported in several areas. In Wayanad district, officials opened the shutters of the Banasura Sagar dam by 85 cm to release approximately 100 cusecs of water following intense rainfall in the catchment area, according to news agency PTI. Residents living downstream were advised to remain vigilant. In neighbouring Pathanamthitta district, all three shutters of the Moozhiyar reservoir were opened after water levels crossed the red alert mark of 190 metres. The Irrigation Design and Research Board (IDRB) issued flood warnings for multiple rivers across Kerala, including: Manimala, Pamba, Achankovil (Pathanamthitta) Muvattupuzha, Kaliyar, Periyar (Ernakulam) Pallikkal (Kollam) Vamanapuram (Thiruvananthapuram) Bharathappuzha, Chalakudy (Thrissur) Thodupuzha (Idukki) Bhavani (Palakkad) Korappuzha (Kozhikode) Valapattanam (Kannur) Kabani (Wayanad) Authorities have urged people living near riverbanks and in low-lying areas to prepare for possible evacuations. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for nine districts, indicating the likelihood of heavy rainfall ranging between 6 cm and 11 cm in a 24-hour period. Severe waterlogging in Ernakulam Ernakulam city experienced its worst waterlogging of the monsoon season so far, with widespread flooding across major roads and residential areas. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Web Search search Search Now Undo The downpour, which began on Friday and intensified on Saturday, led to severe traffic congestion and disrupted daily life. Areas including Edappally Toll, Panampilly Nagar, Kathrikadavu, and MG Road were submerged. Businesses in the city centre reported water damage, with some shopkeepers forced to manually drain their premises. 'This is the worst waterlogging we've seen this monsoon,' said Manoj Panakkal, a shop owner at Padma Junction. 'We were hoping that the canal rejuvenation work under Operation Breakthrough would help. But Saturday's high tide and rain overwhelmed the system.' Officials face criticism Local opposition leaders criticised the city administration over delays in implementing flood mitigation projects. 'Despite Rs 10 crore being allocated, the dredging of the Thevara–Perandoor canal has not been completed,' said Antony Kureethara, leader of the opposition in the municipal corporation. MG Aristotle, parliamentary party secretary of the UDF, added that canal rehabilitation work remained on paper, with no progress on land acquisition or removal of encroachments. With more rainfall expected in the coming days, state and district authorities remain on high alert.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Waterlogging returns as rain lashes Kochi
Kochi: For the first time this monsoon, heavy rains brought severe waterlogging to Ernakulam city and its adjoining areas, leading to massive traffic jams and widespread disruption of daily life. The downpour began on Friday and intensified on Saturday, accompanied by strong winds, inundating major city roads and low-lying areas. Murky water entered homes and shops, affecting business operations and residents. Several key areas, including Edappally Toll, Ernakulam North and South, Panampilly Nagar, Vennala, Kathrikadavu, Padma and KSRTC depot, were affected. Shopkeepers at MG Road at the heart of the city had to drain out water from their premises following intense showers. "This is the worst waterlogging we've seen this monsoon. We had hoped that canal rejuvenation under Operation Breakthrough and drain cleaning would prevent this. But Saturday's high tide and rains proved otherwise," said Manoj Panakkal, a trader at Padma Junction. Opposition councillors criticized the city administration, calling the situation an example of poor planning. "Despite allocating Rs 10 crore for flood mitigation projects, key works like dredging of the Thevara–Perandoor canal remain incomplete even during the monsoon," said Antony Kureethara, opposition leader in the corporation. MG Aristotle, UDF parliamentary party secretary, added that canal rehabilitation projects have made no headway. "It remains only on paper, with not a single cent of land acquired or encroachments cleared, highlighting administrative inefficiency." Mayor M Anilkumar attributed the flooding to continuous, intense rainfall coinciding with a high tide. "Intermittent rain turned into a downpour lasting 2–3 hours. Our water pump also developed a technical issue and couldn't be used to dewater key areas," he said. Rural Ernakulam also faced heavy rains. A relief camp was opened in North Paravur taluk after waterlogging in Kizhakkumpuram, Chendamangalam panchayat. On Saturday, 10 more houses were damaged; nine were reported damaged on Friday. Strong winds uprooted trees across the district, including one that fell on a parked bus in Thoppumpady — no injuries were reported. By evening, the Muvattupuzha river crossed warning levels. Authorities issued alerts for potential landslides, mudslips and uprooting of trees. Travel at night was banned in hilly areas. Coastal regions like Chellanam also suffered as sea surges flooded roads in Kannamali, Cherya Kadavu Company Padi and nearby areas. "The situation may worsen. Authorities must act promptly," warned VT Sebastian, Convenor of the Chellanam-Kochi People's Forum.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Climate
- The Hindu
Kochi city pounded by heavy rain on Saturday; amid high tide, situation along Ernakulam's coastal belt worsens
The densely-populated Kochi city was battered by an unabated spell of heavy rain accompanied by strong winds for hours since Saturday morning, leaving vast stretches of the city vulnerable to rain-related risks and roads inundated. The city saw its worst flood situation since the onset of monsoon on May 24. Areas in the city traditionally vulnerable to flooding has been submerged as the rain continued relentlessly. For the first time this season, the M.G. Road was completely flooded. While uprooted trees disrupted power supply in many areas. According to Mayor M. Anilkumar, 'A low lying city like Kochi can hardly do anything when battered by heavy rain for over 3 hours without a break.' 'A motor installed for pumping out water from M.G. Road developed a snag. The situation was made worse by the fact that high tide continued till 2.30 p.m. preventing water from draining out to the backwater,' the Mayor said. Areas near the KSRTC bus stand and Ernakulam South railway station, Monastery Road, Ashoka Lane, Vivekananda Road, Aysha Road, KP Vallon Road, Azad Road, Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, Pachalam, Market Road have been flooded. 'We deployed four centralised flood mitigation squads in addition to squads at the zonal level. It took time for the stagnated water to drain out owing to the high tide,' said an official with the Corporation health wing. Padmaja S. Menon, division councillor for Ernakulam South, said that rather than pinpointing the affected areas it would be far easier to say that the entire division was flooded. Water entered many houses along Vivekananda Road while flooding was also reported along the Mullassery Canal, she said. M.G. Aristotle, UDF parliamentary party leader in Kochi Corporation, accused the civic body of not having undertaken desilting of the Thevara-Perandoor Canal under 'Operation Breakthrough' in advance. Carrying out desilting works in July during the peak of the monsoon is a futile exercise, he said. The inmates of the P&T Apartment complex reported heavy leakage of apartments as has been the case every time it rained ever since they were shifted there last year. Service roads of the national highway were flooded at many stretches and many two-wheelers could be seen wobbling in flood water. Areas where national highway widening works are underway were reduced to mud pool. Coastal areas Heavy flooding and sea incursion have been reported along the coastal stretches of Ernakulam district. A team from the Fire and Rescue Services was deployed for evacuating people living along Aniyil beach in Vypeen. Kochuthresya Nishil, member of ward 13, one of the worst affected wards in Edavanakkad panchayat, said, 'The situation is extremely bad in Edavanakkad and almost all 300-odd houses in a one km stretch in my ward along the seashore were invaded by waves. Some of the affected families were even finding it difficult to move out to the relief camp.' Kochi taluk sources said that widespread damage was reported from the coastal belt of Edavanakkad, Nayarambalam, Vypeen, and other areas, which included tree fall. While authorities were prepared to open relief camps, many affected families were unwilling to shift. Airport Two domestic flights were diverted from the Kochi airport to Bengaluru and Coimbatore on Saturday morning owing to inclement weather.
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Drains along M.G. Road in Kochi to be renovated to increase carrying capacity
Drains along M.G. Road will be widened enough to increase their carrying capacity to accommodate water from intense spells of rain within a short period as experienced during recent years. This will be one of the works to be undertaken by the Public Works department (PWD) using the ₹10 crores to be sanctioned under Operation Breakthrough (OBT). Renovated drains with footpath atop and twin duct for utilities, including one exclusively for the KSEB, will be part of the works. The PWD will seek technical sanction once the amount is credited to its account. Out of the 9.40-km stretch of M.G. Road, 2.60 km from Pharmacy Junction is likely to be covered in the initial phase. The PWD prefers a left side-oriented work considering that more shops are on that side, and, therefore, pedestrians are also likely to be more there. 'M.G. Road has traditionally suffered from lack of flow of water through the drain leading to waterlogging warranting slope correction. Also, the unscientific installation of prefabricated drains on an existing drain has affected the proper drainage of water into the drains, which also need to be corrected. Missing slabs on the footpath also need to be replaced,' said Mayor M. Anilkumar. The works will be carried out in accordance with a detailed project report (DPR) for drains along M.G. Road, prepared by the PWD two years ago after the Mayor wrote to the Public Works Minister. However, as per the DPR, the total cost of the works is ₹16 crore. 'A meeting will be held with the Minister to explore ways to secure the remaining ₹6 crore needed to complete the project,' said Mr. Anilkumar. A proposal worth around ₹20 crores for laying an eastern-centric outlet to discharge water from the drains directly to the backwaters also remains pending. At present, the discharge outlet through M.G. Road is west-centric. The proposal is to draw an outlet from near the South railway station across M.G. Road directly to the backwaters through DH Road. A majority of OBT works have been focused on the restoration of Mullassery Canal, resolving waterlogging near High Court Junction, and the construction of a culvert at Kammattipadam.
