Delay in opening Veli breakwater blamed for waterlogging in capital

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Commuters and residents on Friday woke up to inundated roads and streets as heavy overnight rain brought the state capital to a standstill. The incessant rain that lashed the capital from Thursday evening continued till Friday morning hours, inundating Thampanoor, East Fort, Chackai, Vanchiyoor and other low-lying areas. The severe flooding was largely attributed to a delay in opening the Veli breakwater. It took several hours for the rain water to recede, forcing pedestrians and motorists to wade through flood water on Friday morning. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an orange alert for the district, keeping authorities on their toes. An official of the city corporation said that they had been working through the night in response to the heavy downpour but admitted that the delay in releasing water through the breakwater worsened the morning flooding. The breakwater was opened only around 9am and fortunately there was less rain after morning hours. We tried everything to release the storm water but there was no flow because of the breakwater, said the official. An official of the irrigation department said that there was a delay in opening the breakwater since the rain was unexpected. The heavy rain started in the evening and the IMD issued an orange alert only on Friday morning. Its difficult to arrange work to open the breakwater during the night hours, said the official. The continuous downpour also led to the partial opening of five shutters of the Aruvikkara dam to regulate water levels. The overflowing Killiyar river continues to pose a flood threat to the capital, causing waterlogging in many parts of the city. In the wake of heavy rain, popular eco-tourism destinations such as Ponmudi and Mankayam were closed to visitors. Meanwhile, several compound walls collapsed in different parts of the city Considering the situation, the collector has declared a holiday for all educational institutions in the district on Friday.