Heavy rain brings Thiruvananthapuram to its knees

Heavy rain in Thiruvananthapuram disrupts life; World Cup warm-up match abandoned. Neyyattinkara receives highest rainfall of 108 mm. Train services disrupted due to tree falling & flooding. Holiday declared for educational institutions in Thiruvananthapuram & Alappuzha. IMD forecasts light to moderate rain on Wed. KSDMA urges people in high ranges to stay vigilant.

The heavy downpour triggered by the cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal for the third consecutive day on Tuesday brought the capital city to its knees with city roads inundated in the aftermath. The World Cup warm-up match between India and the Netherlands at the Greenfield International Stadium here was abandoned due to the heavy rain. This is the third warm-up match in Thiruvananthapuram to be called off due to rain.

Neyyattinkara in Thiruvananthapuram received the highest rainfall of 108 mm in the last 24 hours ending at 7.30 pm on Tuesday. The train service between Thiruvananthapuram and Nagercoil was disrupted for a brief period after a chunk of earth caved in on the track near Nemom. Trees also reportedly fell across the track near Kulithurai, disrupting the service for a while. Rainwater also entered houses and buildings in low-lying areas. The clogged water has disrupted the smooth flow of traffic in many places, including in the heart of the city Thampanoor, Chakka and Enchakkal. The Enchakkal-Vallakkadavu road was also flooded.

A holiday was declared by the district administration for educational institutions, including professional colleges, in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. In Alappuzha, a holiday was declared for educational institutions in Cherthala taluk where relief camps were operating, the district administration said. Earlier, hundreds of acres of paddy fields were submerged at Edathua in Alappuzha following the heavy downpour.

Though the intensity of rain abated by the evening, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a warning of light to moderate rainfall across the State on Wednesday. The intensity of rain is likely to abate considerably in the coming days with the weakening of the weather systems over the Bay of Bengal. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has urged people living in high ranges to maintain vigil in view of the incessant rain.

Three more relief camps were opened in Thiruvananthapuram accommodating a total of 80 people. Earlier, one relief camp was operational at Mamam Anganvadi in Chirayinkeezhu taluk.