KOCHI: The High Court on Wednesday criticized the authorities and the public in connection with the waterlogging in Kochi following heavy rains. Justice Devan Ramachandran asked whether the neceassary things are done amid heavy rain and said the drains should have been cleaned like the last time, but it did not happen.

Devan Ramachandran stated that the cooperation of the public is needed to avoid waterlogging and tons of plastic waste is being removed from the drains. Meanwhile, the amicus curiae stated that the waterlogging occurred due to the failure of the Irrigation Department in cleaning the Edapally canal.

Due to heavy rain, there was severe waterlogging in Kakkanad Infopark on Tuesday. Aluva-Edappally road and Sahodaran Ayyappan road were flooded. Water did not drain away in many places as the canals were not cleaned.

Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department has announced orange alert in seven districts of the state due to continued heavy rains. Orange alert has been declared in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki districts. Yellow alert has also been announced in four districts namely Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kozhikode. Due to the influence of monsoon storm, there is a possibility of heavy rainfall in the state today. A yellow alert warning has also been announced in 11 districts from Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode tomorrow.