The capital city got inundated by last day’s rain and it elicited no surprise. The calamity was long coming considering the pure disregard and negligence shown by authorities in developing proper urban planning and maintenance.

Thiruvananthapuram is a geographical hotspot that always sees decent to heavy rainfall on an annual basis. The rain always came as a blessing for the natives and there was no obstruction to the natural flow of water. The burgeoning population in the city upended things, as every nook and corner started to witness high-rise buildings and residential ones. Buildings multiplied in the city, and all watercourses disappeared. Streams and rivers now obstruct water flow due to sedimentation.

Kerala follows strong laws to catch and punish those who pollute water sources and obstruct the flow of water. But for all this time, the laws worked little to shipshape the capital city. Every major water source in the capital is still piled up in garbage. So, why boast these laws when the city is reeking of mismanagement right in front of the authorities?

Big canals and main streams in the city are filled with drains more than water. Kerala is abundant with rain and there is a surety of monsoon at least two times a year. So, the necessary preparations to deal with the floods should have been the priority of the government but alas, we can only cry. During the rainy season, the city flaunts in mess.

Many parts of the city become waterlogged even in light rains. Many families are forced to move to temporary relief centres. Ministers and government representatives often grace these centres with their presence as if they have saved the whole of humanity from a calamity.

Who is responsible for turning the capital city into a mess in just one rain? It is said that the government and innumerable departments have the responsibility to provide security for the lives and property of the people. But is any department fulfilling its mandate properly?

Would any department dare to admit their fall in duty even in this horrendous situation of floods? If the Irrigation Department and Local Self-Government Department had fulfilled their responsibilities, the residents of the city would not have had to suffer such a great calamity.

In reality, monsoons this time were far more serene than the previous years. The rains did no havoc of superior magnitude in the state. Albeit this, many people had to flee their houses in fear of waterlogging and many even had to spend days at relief camps out from their comfort of homes.

Some places in the capital city, not prone to flooding, were submerged in water for the first time during this year. Even lower floors of hospitals got inundated, and the bodies kept in the mortuary had to be moved. A section of employees in the Technopark got shrills seeing water entering into their workplace. This was unprecedented.

Around a thousand people had to shift to camps as the entire area was submerged in water up to their necks. The electricity substation was also affected by the flood and the electricity connection was stopped in many places. Many homes have lost valuable equipment due to water. It will take a lot of work to restore the houses that have accumulated mud in the water logging.

The rains tell a startling story. No lessons have been learned by the government. As far as the current progress is concerned, the same stoic attitude from the government will continue in the coming times. The people shall suffer or can find comfort in relief homes.