Floodwaters stay put in Chala market for the second consecutive day

Chala market and surrounding areas face waterlogging issues due to heavy rain, affecting businesses and prompting city officials to act.

The commercial hub of the city, in and around Chala market, experienced waterlogging for the second consecutive day as overnight rain lashed the city on Monday. Storm water entered a few shops and homes in the area, with trade getting affected as customers stayed away from the flooded market. The city Corporation authorities deployed workers to clear the block in the major drains on the Killipalam-Attakulangara stretch, which led to flooding in the surrounding areas.

Chala market, Kothuval Street and Sabapathy Koil Street, along which are located some major wholesale and retail rice and grocery shops, remained flooded on Monday.

“The Smart City-related works in this area began around six months ago. When we raised our concerns regarding the delay, the authorities had promised to finish it in two months, but it is still ongoing. Today, a couple of visitors to the market fell into a water-filled pit. Floodwater entered around 8-10 shops, causing considerable losses. Since we have wholesale shops here, quite a few trucks ply along this road, but due to the ongoing works, the vehicles are unable to reach the shops,” says Vijayakumar, secretary of the Grain Merchants’ Association.

According to Corporation officials, some slabs near the Ramachandran Textiles shop had caved in to the main drain along the Killipalam-Attakulangara route, restricting the storm water flow from Chala Market, Ganga Nagar, Karimadom Colony, Yamuna Nagar and other areas to the Thekkanakara Canal, a pre-Independence era canal which leads into the Parvathy Puthanar. The Corporation authorities deployed a crane to remove the concrete and other waste due to which the flow was restored to some extent by afternoon.

But, according to the assessment of the Corporation’s engineering wing, the Thekkanakara Canal does not have enough carrying capacity in case of sustained spells of rain. Irrigation department officils have been instructed to clear up the issues related to the canal at the earliest.

At Barton Hill, parts of a wall caved in during the rain on Monday. Some areas on either side of the Kazhakuttom-Karode National Highway bypass, including Kadakampally Road and some sections of the service road, witnessed waterlogging for the second consecutive day. The issues in these areas are bound to persist as long as improper alignment of stormwater drains and disruption of natural watercourses are not addressed.

Due to the ongoing Smart City-related underground duct works in some major roads, including the Vanchiyoor-General Hospital Road and the Vazhuthacaud-Thycaud Road, residents in these areas as well as those who used to regularly commute through these roads have been facing difficulties. The much-delayed works in these areas have further slowed down as the pits dug for ducting work are now filled with water.