Kerala HC raps Kochi Corporation for 'inaction' in clearing drainages

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday pulled up the Kochi city corporation for its alleged inaction in clearing drainages causing flood-like waterlogging in the city during heavy rains that hit the state. Observing that thousands of people living here were still affected by waterlogging due to Monday's rains, it said there was no one to take care of the poor.

READ: Red Alert In 7 Dists Of Kerala

Justice Devan Ramachandran seeks answers

Blaming the civic body for the deluge in the city, Justice Devan Ramachandran sought to know why the state government was not using the power vested under the Municipal Act to dissolve the inactive City Corporation council. Referring to the authorities' ambitious plans to transform Kochi into a city like Singapore, he said it should at least be made livable for its residents.

The Court made the observation when the amicus curiae in the Perandoor Canal cleaning case drew its attention to the waterlogging situation. Life in the city and its immediate suburbs was thrown out of gear on Monday after waterlogging following heavy rains. Many houses and commercial establishments in the city including M G Road, Banerjee Road, Kaloor, Panampally Nagar, Ernakulam South and Edappally were inundated in the rains leaving residents and shop owners stranded.

READ: IMD Issues 'orange Alert' In Kerala, Karnataka As Heavy Rains Lash

Floods grip several areas in Kochi

Many areas in Kochi city were declared flood affected by the Ernakulam district administration and camps were opened to relocate the people affected by rains. Rail and road traffic in the state were affected due to the rains. Train services via stations in Ernakulam were affected due to waterlogging in two major railway stations in Kochi on Monday. 

Red alert in Kerala

As the North East Monsoon became vigorous over Kerala, a 'red alert' has been sounded in 7 districts on Monday with heavy to very heavy rains and extremely heavy falls being forecast at isolated places over the southern state and Mahe. According to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority red alert has been issued in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur and Palakkad on Monday and in four districts on Tuesday.

READ | Kochi : Schools To Remain Shut, Following Orange Alert By IMD

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked people to be vigilant. The red alert is a call to immediately take preventive steps to evacuate people from vulnerable areas to shelter camps and provide others with emergency kits. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, squally weather is very likely over east-central and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea along with Maharashtra-Goa-Karnataka-Kerala coasts, Lakshadweep and Comorin and over southwest and adjoining the west-central Bay of Bengal along with north Tamil Nadu-south Andhra Pradesh coast.

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