Kochi: Several parts of the city, including Panampilly Nagar, Kalabhavan Road, Karithala Colony near Ambedkar Stadium, Ravipuram, Kadavanthra, MG Road, Ernakulam South, and Ernakulam North, experienced waterlogging during the night of Friday and Saturday due to a combination of high tide and intense rainfall. The fire force in Gandhinagar and Club Road received a few calls from residents about tree branches falling on the road, but no injuries were reported from rain-related incidents.
Heavy Rainfall and High Tide Cause Havoc
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the rain gauge station at Durbar Hall Ground recorded 7.3 cm of rainfall in just 45 minutes around midnight. As the tide was rising along the coastal city, the sea could not receive the rainwater, leading to waterlogging in many areas. Residents were forced to stay awake as floodwaters rose, with marks visible on compound walls. In some houses, water entered the premises, and residents had to wait until low tide for the water to drain before starting cleaning.
Most Affected Areas
The situation was most severe in the Ravipuram area, while all interior roads in Panampilly Nagar were submerged as drains and the Perandoor Thevara Canal could not carry water to the sea due to the high tide. Division Councillor Gison George noted that once the high tide began to decline, floodwater started receding, but it was severe in Indira Nagar in Kadavanthra. Ravipuram Councillor S Sasikala described the waterlogging as unexpected, with floodwater overflowing from Panampilly Nagar and MG Road to Ravipuram, leaving all roads under water. She mentioned that there are around 10 culverts in her division, four of which had been cleaned, but the night's waterlogging was due to heavy rain combined with high tide. Workers were busy clearing blockages in drains on Saturday.
Impact on Residents
Anjana Rajesh, former councillor of Panampilly Nagar, highlighted that when floodwater entered house compounds, it also entered water tanks and septic tanks, causing inconvenience to residents. The DH Ground rain gauge station recorded a total of 9 cm of rainfall between 8:30 am on Friday and 5:30 am on Saturday. IMD officials said that 1.7 cm of rainfall was received until 11:30 pm, but between midnight and 12:45 am, the station recorded 7.3 cm of intense rainfall in 45 minutes. Rainfall above 7 cm in 24 hours is classified as heavy rainfall.
