According to visuals, the heavy rains led to waterlogging and flooding of streets, roads and low-lying areas of Thiruvananthapuram.
People wading through a watelogged road in Thirunvananthapuram. (Facebook)
Torrential rains that battered Kerala triggered landslides and flooded several parts of the state, especially Thiruvananthapuram in the south on Sunday, 15 October.
More than 550 people in Thiruvananthapuram have been shifted to 17 relief centres and the disaster response force personnel were seen shifting residents from low-lying areas. Almost all rivers and canals in the district were overflowing. No casualty has been reported.
A flood alert has been issued for people living on the banks of Karamana, Neyyar, and Vamanapuram rivers.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert in four districts, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha. A yellow alert has been sounded for eight others.
The IMD also predicted isolated heavy rainfall in many places in the state in the coming days.
#Kerala & #Mahe experiences isolated very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall! Trivandrum (dist Thiruvananthapuram) 21 cm, Cherthala (dist Alapuzha) 20cm, Mavelikara (dist Alapuzha)17 cm, Thiruvalla (dist Pathanamthitta) 15 cm, pic.twitter.com/3o2L1V4peb
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) October 15, 2023
Water entered the houses in the Technopark Colony at Kazhakkoottam, a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram, and people were evacuated to safety. Television reports said hundreds of houses in the district were inundated and some areas reported incidents of landslides.
Visuals showed cars almost submerged while rescuers evacuated people from homes in inflatable boats to camps in some parts of Thiruvananthapuram.
State General Education Minister V Sivankutty, who visited the flooded areas, said in a Facebook post that the rains since the previous night created an unusual situation in Thiruvananthapuram city.
He said there was waterlogging in many places and the non-receding of the rising seawater has also aggravated the situation.
⚠️ Heads up! Kerala is under an Orange Alert. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected on October 15th and 16th with rainfall measures ranging from 115.6 to 204.4 mm. Stay safe! pic.twitter.com/EMR8m9tHC0
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) October 15, 2023
The minister said the district administration was carrying out relief operations on a wartime basis and all kinds of aid and assistance would be provided to those affected.
State Revenue Minister K Rajan also visited some of the flood-affected areas, according to his Facebook post.
After a ministerial-level meeting, Sivankutty, at a press briefing, said many parts of Thiruvananthapuram, especially the capital city, have been seriously affected by floods and waterlogging.
Rajan said the capital city received over 100 mm of rainfall and nearly double that in areas around the international airport since Saturday night.
“It is one of the major reasons for the waterlogging and flooding,” he said.
The minister said that his Cabinet colleagues — state Transport Minister Antony Raju and Civil Supplies Minister GR Anil — were also monitoring the situation and government officials concerned have been asked to report for duty.
Additionally, 17 relief camps have been opened in the district and 572 people are now sheltered there, he said.
“Though the situation is under control, more water needs to recede..,” he added.
Many residents of the district and the state capital told television channels that even the savage 2018 floods had not created such a situation in Thiruvananthapuram.
“The flooding and water entering homes began post-midnight suddenly. It was unexpected,” a resident said.
Waterlogging of roads and water entering homes were also reported from various parts of Ernakulam district on Saturday.
(With PTI inputs)
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