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Low-lying areas in Thiruvananthapuram city, India, were inundated following several hours of heavy rainfall on Saturday night. The rains had ceased by the early hours of Sunday, but floodwaters persisted in some areas, including Mukkolakkal, Attakulangara, Kazhakuttam, and Ulloor.
At Kadakampally Road near Anayara, over a hundred families faced difficulties due to stormwater flooding the entire stretch. Local residents blamed the situation on the widening of the Kazhakuttom-Karode National Highway bypass, alleging that improper stormwater drain alignment and disruption of natural watercourses had caused recurrent flooding in the neighborhood.
According to one resident, numerous petitions to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways, and Shipping had gone unanswered. The heavy inundation caused by overnight rains nearly cut off the residential area from the rest of the capital city.
In Ulloor's Kumarapuram area, floodwaters also receded slowly from some stretches. The slow pace of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation's pre-monsoon cleaning activities led to overflowing drains in some areas.
Ongoing Smart City-related underground duct works in major roads near Vazhuthacaud and Thycaud further compounded the challenges faced by city residents.
However, areas like Murinjapalam, which witnessed flooding in unseasonal rains last year, remained free of waterlogging due to the desilting and widening works of the Pattom canal.
Some areas near Gowreesapattom did report waterlogging.
Minor landslides have been reported from the North Cliff area of Varkala, a popular tourist destination, over the past few days. Last year, a portion of the pathway on top of the cliff collapsed.
Tourism activities in the high ranges of Ponmudi and in the coastal areas have been temporarily banned due to the anticipation of more rain in the coming days.
Source: Low lying areas in the capital inundated in heavy rain