Residents block Alappuzha bypass over waterlogging

Kottayam: Residents blocked Alappuzha bypass as unscientific work on national highway, combined with monsoon onset, led to flooding in more than 500 homes in Alappuzha town on Friday.Traffic along a 6km stretch of NH came to a complete standstill due to the protest, lasting over two hours. Protesters called off the agitation only after A D Thomas, MLA, and district collector Shaji V Nair reached the spot and assured a temporary arrangement within two days to drain the inundation in and around the houses. Locals warned they would return if the promise wasn’t kept.People, including women, staged a sit-in and lay on the road at Kommadi end, where the bypass begins, around 11 am to protest the waterlogging issue. Soon, a long queue of vehicles, including ambulances, was seen on the bypass overbridge. Vehicles from Kalarcode towards Ernakulam were stuck on the elevated road. Police eased the jam by diverting traffic.As the MLA arrived at the protest site, LDF representatives tried to create an issue. Residents pushed back, insisting that politics not be dragged into the matter. People complained that NH officials weren't answering phone calls. Later, district collector assured that work had begun to cut a channel using an excavator to release the stagnant water, and Alappuzha municipal secretary was tasked with monitoring it.As part of highway construction, canals were covered and drains and service roads were blocked, causing floodwater to enter over 500 homes in Arattuvazhi, Kalappura and Kanjiramchira wards. Water that filled homes and surroundings two weeks ago hadn't drained away. With monsoon arrival, more water entered the houses, damaging motors and household items, prompting residents to protest. Elevated culverts built for NH also contributed to water inundation. As rain intensified, many sought shelter in relatives' homes.