Thiruvananthapuram: Fire Force personnel and residents have been continuing the rescue mission to evacuate stranded people from flood-hit areas of the state capital. Hundreds of people have been shifted to relief camps from low-lying areas including Thekkumoodu Bund colony, Gowreesapattom, Marappalam, Pattom and Murinjapalam.
In Pattom, nearly 250 houses were inundated. In Marappalam, 15 families were evacuated from Kedaram Lane by the fire force team on Thursday morning.
Residents told Manorama News that canals should be cleaned as the drainage system is not proper in these areas. Though incessant rain is not continuing, the water level is not receding, reported Manorama News.
“ We launched the rescue operation on Wednesday around 10 pm. Around 350 people were shifted to sage locations from Gowreesapattom, Murinjapalam and areas close to Amayizhanjan and Parvathi Puthanar canals. The first floor of many houses completely flooded,” said a fire force team member.
A councillor of Thiruvananthapuram corporation representing Gowreesapattom rubbished reports on lapses of the corporation in initiating proper action including pre-monsoon cleaning works to resolve waterlogging. He claimed that the authority had taken action to increase the depth of the Amayizhanjan canal.
Cosmopolitan Hospital in the city is also reeling under water after the Aamayizhanjan canal close to it started overflowing on Wednesday night. Manorama News reported that the operation of the hospital is partially affected as the power supply is disrupted. The first floor of the hospital completely flooded, according to reports. Apart from the Aamayizhanjan canal, Parvathi Puthanar and Pattom canals have been overflowing since Wednesday night.
In Gowreesapattom, over 100 houses are submerged. A resident told Manorama News that water started to enter houses around 10 pm on Wednesday. He added that furniture and electrical equipment would be damaged in all houses as people were forced to shift to relief camps at midnight. As the Pattom canal in the area is in spate, houses and roads are flooded. In October, these low-lying areas in the capital city witnessed a similar floor-like situation.
India Meteorological Department sounded an orange alert in the district on Wednesday in view of the incessant rainfall.
Meanwhile, the Met Department issued a yellow alert in Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Idukki and Wayanad districts on Thursday.
