Trains delayed, traffic hit as heavy rains bring Thiruvananthapuram to a standstill
Heavy rains continue to cause havoc in many parts of Kerala, including the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, which has been experiencing rainfall from Monday night onwards.
A 74-year-old man from Nalanchira in Thiruvananthapuram died due to electrocution on Tuesday morning after he accidently stepped on an electric line.
According to media reports, four shutters of the Neyyar dam have been opened up to 3 ft. Along with this, the shutters of the Aruvikkara and Peppara dams have also been opened.
The rains disrupted normal life in Kerala’s capital city, with trees being uprooted and throwing traffic out of gear. Along with this, many households have also reported damages to electrical devices because of lightning and thunder.
The heavy rains also caused waterlogging onto the tracks at Trivandrum Central Railway Station, disrupting the rail movement to and from the city.
Trains such as the Kerala Express, which was scheduled to leave Thiruvananthapuram at 11:15 am, still hadn’t left the station at 1 pm on Tuesday owing to the rains.
Because of the delay caused by the trains from Thiruvananthapuram, many trains in the Mangalore route also had to change their schedules, causing major inconvenience to passengers.
A report by The New Indian Express (TNIE) states that huge agricultural loss has been reported from the high range areas of the district.
Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across Kerala until August 1.
In its bulletin released on Tuesday, the Met office announced that Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Palakkad districts are set to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Thiruvananthapuram District Collector, K Vasuki had declared a holiday for all educational institutions in the capital city on Tuesday following heavy rains.
The Collector had also alerted people living near the river banks to stay vigilant.
Control rooms have started functioning in various areas of the city.
Thiruvananthapuram Collectorate -- 0471 2730045, 2730067, Mobile number -- 9497711281
Varkala -- 9497711286
Chirayinkeezh -- 9497711287
Kaattakkada -- 9497711284
Nedumangadu -- 9497711285
Neyyattinkara -- 9497711283
Thiruvananthapuram -- 9497711282.
The monsoon in Kerala arrived on May 29. The death toll owing to the rains is over 90 lives.
The Kerala government had on Monday arranged an ‘Orange Alert’ along the banks of the Periyar river, as the water levels in the Idukki dam rose to 2395 feet on Monday night. Rescue and relief teams have been deployed in both Idukki and Ernakulam districts to take over in the event of the dam's shutters being opened.