KOCHI: Even as it was a sunny Monday, after two days of heavy downpour, destruction caused by the rains continued. Trees were uprooted near Hill palace, Tripunithura, near power house along the busiest Vyttila – Petta Road and in Fort Kochi causing heavy traffic congestion. A building near North railway over bridge partially collapsed, though no one was injured. Traffic along the road came to a halt when the huge tree near power house at Vyttila was uprooted around 8 am. It took nearly 4 hours for the two units of Fire and Rescue Department from Gandhi Nagar and Tripunithura to cut and remove parts of the tree.
As traffic diverted from alternative routes, even the narrow interior roads were stuck. Traffic has been restored by noon. The shop in an old building near Lissie junction collapsed due to its age and dilapidated condition, according to traders nearby. Though rains receded, low lying areas remained water logged even on Monday morning. The water that entered the shops and streets drained completely only by the afternoon.
Special poojas were performed at the Aluva Mahadeva temple when the entire temple premises got submerged in the raising water level in River Periyar. Submerging of the temple in flood water is the ‘natural arattu’ – bathing of the deity, as per the temple rituals. As shutters of many of the major and minor dams like Malankara and Mullaperiyar were opened, residents along the banks of Periyar and Muvattupuzha have been put on alert.
