Normal life was paralysedon Sunday as heavy rain incessantly lashed the city since Saturday night.
After a brief let up for nearly one hour in the morning, it rained throughout the day, flooding most parts of the city. However, no causalities were reported.
While most of the low-lying areas in the city experienced inundation, the colonies located near the Ernakulam South railway station were the worst-hit.
City areas were flooded when it rained in the morning hours during the high tide. The high water level in the backwaters prevented the draining of water from the streets. The civic administration had requested the district administration to shift the affected population from Gandhi Nagar area to the Kendriya Vidyalaya, said Mayor Soumini Jain.
The city drains could not carry away the flood waters as the canals into which they drained were overflowing. Water level in the Thevara-Perandoor and Champakkara canals remained high and stagnant and proved insufficient to accommodate the floodwater from the city drains.
The areas near South Railway station, Paramara Road, Ernakulam South, parts of Vennala, Karikkamuri, Menaka, Karakkat Road, P and T Colony, Kammattipadam, Karshaka Road and Palarivattom were hit.
Heavy flooding was reported in the Infopark and adjoining areas. The building remained inaccessible as rain continued to batter the area.
Ponnurunni, areas near the KSRTC bus stand, Kalathiparambil Road, Maradu Gandhi Square, and Thripunithura were also flooded. With weathermen predicting heavy rain for the next 48 hours, the civic administrators and the district administration were on their toes to tackle any possible accidents.
The Petti and Para, the indigenous system for pumping out floodwater, installed by the Kochi Corporation at a few locations turned out to be ineffective as the machinery could not be operated with the water level raising steadily, said V.K. Minimol, Chairperson of the Health Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation.
Though the overseers and other officials of the Health Department were on the roads attending to complaints since Monday morning, the continuous rain hampered the operations, Ms. Mini said.
Tree uprooted
One huge tree located near the Ernakulam General Hospital got uprooted on Saturday night. The tree was removed by the Fire and Rescue Services Department on Sunday afternoon. The vehicular movement along the route was hit till Sunday noon.
The eastern areas of the district also face the threat of landslips. There was a minor landslip near the Thrikkakara municipal ground in the early hours of Sunday. Noone was injured in the incident.