Heavy rain leaves a trail of destruction in Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala - The HinduPublished - August 01, 2026 09:02 pm IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAMThe heavy rain that lashed parts of the district on Friday night also left a trail of destruction. Following heavy rain in the hilly regions of Thiruvananthapuram, a minor landslip occurred at the tourist destination of Ponmudi on Saturday, where debris from the landslip at the 12th hairpin bend was washed down as far as the 9th bend. The collapse of the road edges also brought traffic to Ponmudi to a complete halt for the time being.As the incident occurred early in the morning, a major accident was averted due to the existing restrictions on uphill vehicle movement from Kallar. Although personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services in Vithura and officials of the Forest Department have arrived and begun clearing the debris, a complete ban on travel to Ponmudi has been imposed due to the continuing risk of further landslips.Five families were evacuated to Padanilam LP School due to the rise in water level in the Vamanapuram river at Vaidyan Mukku in Kizhuvilam Koonthallur village in Chirayinkeezhu taluk. A total of 23 people were evacuated to the camp at Padanilam LP School including two men, 13 women and 8 children.The heavy rain caused widespread crop damage in the district. According to the report of the Principal Agricultural Officer, 23.6 hectares of crop were damaged in Kattakada, Neyyattinkara and Parassala blocks (as per the figures up to 4 p.m.). The highest crop damage was reported in Neyyattinkara block with 22.7 hectares followed by Parassala (0.8 hectares) and Kattakada (0.1 hectares). Currently, 141 farmers have been affected in three blocks and the total loss is initially estimated to be ₹29.1 lakh, according to the district administration.In the event of continued rains, 24-hour taluk-level control rooms have been opened under the leadership of the District Disaster Management Authority. Due to the prevailing rain warning in the district and the increase in water flow into Neyyar Dam, all four shutters of the dam were raised by 20 cm each (80 cm) in addition to the earlier 160 cm raised..If the water level in Peppara Dam continues to rise, four shutters of Peppara Dam will be raised by 20 cm each (80 cm) in addition to the currently raised 80 cm, informed the district administration. Since the increase in flow from Peppara Dam will raise the water level in Aruvikkara Dam, shutters of Aruvikkara Dam were also opened by 40 cm each, in addition to the 200 cm opened earlier..District Collector Anu Kumari informed that those living in the areas near the dams and on both banks of the rivers should be vigilant.Published - August 01, 2026 09:02 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }