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

Kochi: 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 the 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.

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 tranform Kochi into a city like Singapore, he said it should atleast 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.

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.