Heavy rain continues to batter Ernakulam
The Hindu
National Disaster Response Force team visits flood-prone Puthenvelikkara
Heavy rain continued to pound most parts of Ernakulam district on Tuesday. The rain started in the early hours of Tuesday after a brief lull on Monday. According to official data, Aluva, Nedumbassery and Perumbavoor received the highest amount of rain though no flooding has been reported from any parts of the district. Crop damage reports are coming in, especially from the eastern fringes of the district at Paingottoor near Kothamangalam, where heavy winds felled hundreds of banana plants.
Perumbavoor received 71 mm of rain while Aluva received 50 mm of rain and Cochin International Airport area in Nedumbassery received nearly 51 mm of rain. According to weather reports, Keerampara in the east of the district recorded the highest volume of rain (126 mm) up to 8 a.m. on Tuesday for a 24-hour period. There are other areas with high intensity rain like Muvattupuzha, which saw 76.5 mm of rain in 24 hours. Neeleswaram, close to Kalady, received 70.5 mm of rain and North Paravur saw relatively less rainfall at 28 mm.
The city areas of Kochi, which usually goes under water with heavy rain, has not seen any serious flooding so far. The Ernakulam South area received 10.6 mm of rain while Kochi saw about 13.6 mm of rain.
More than 2.6 lakh village and ward volunteers in Andhra Pradesh, once celebrated as the government’s grassroots champions for their crucial role in implementing welfare schemes, are now in a dilemma after learning that their tenure has not been renewed after August 2023 even though they have been paid honoraria till June 2024. Disowned by both YSRCP, which was in power when they were appointed, and the current ruling TDP, which made a poll promise to double their pay, these former volunteers are ruing the day they signed up for the role which they don’t know if even still exists