Pandipparambu reels under waterlogging as Thripunithura municipality mulls legal remedy

Published 6 June 2026 · india

Families in Pandipparambu in Division 30 of Thripunithura municipality have been living a nightmarish life due to severe waterlogging since the onset of the monsoon

Families in Pandipparambu in Division 30 of Thripunithura municipality have been living a nightmarish life due to severe waterlogging since the onset of the monsoon on Friday (June 5, 2026), with some forced to move out temporarily. The heavy overnight rain has only worsened the situation, with water levels rising instead of receding and reaching knee height in certain stretches on Saturday (June 6, 2026). Municipal authorities attribute the problem to a concrete structure obstructing the drainage channel that passes through a private property in the area. “I can hardly sleep at night, anxious about water entering my home. Several families nearby have already moved out since the flooding began on Friday morning.

This was expected, and I had met the municipal secretary multiple times seeking a solution,” said Raju, an elderly resident. The locality had been prone to waterlogging for nearly 22 years until relief came in 2021 with the construction of a drainage system, when the present municipal chairperson, P.L. Babu, was the division councillor. At the time, the property owner through whose land the drainage passed had cooperated. However, he later built a house, a structure of which blocked the drainage pipe, and sold the property. “The municipal vice-chairperson, standing committee chairpersons, and councillors requested the property owner to remove the structure obstructing the drainage, but in vain.

We have now sought legal opinion on how to tackle the issue, including pulling down the structure,” said Mr. Babu. Meanwhile, the Thripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents’ Associations (TRURA) has complained that waterlogging remains acute in other parts of the municipality, including Pallipparambukavu, M.K.K. Nair Colony, Puthussery Nagar, Railway Station Road, the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple-Vadakkekkotta Road, Pavankulangara, and Kaniyambura in Eloor. “TRURA first launched a protest against waterlogging in areas along the western side of the railway station back in 2006. Yet the situation remains unresolved, mainly due to narrow drains. Thripunithura is blessed with water bodies such as Andhakara Thodu, the Poorna River, and Konothupuzha, all capable of accommodating stormwater.

The problem lies in unscientific drainage systems that are incapable of facilitating the smooth flow of water into these water bodies,” said V.P. Prasad, chairman of TRURA. Babu, however, maintained that waterlogging in the municipality is not as severe as before, thanks to pre-monsoon works. “We identified 42 traditional hotspots and addressed all of them, leaving only a few newly affected areas, which will also be resolved within a week. A detailed project report (DPR) has also been prepared for a comprehensive drainage system to tackle waterlogging in Vadakkekkotta, the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple area, and the rest of the town,” he said.