Incessant rain continued to lash the hilly tracts as well as the plains, aggravating the flood situation in the taluks of Thiruvalla, Kozhencherry, Ranni, Mallappally, and Adoor on Wednesday.

According to official sources, as many as 502 persons belonging to 128 families from the flood-hit areas have been shifted to 10 relief camps in different parts of Thiruvalla and Adoor taluks by Wednesday afternoon.

The Upper Kuttanad panchayats of Peringara, Nedumpram, Niranom, Kadapra, Kuttoor, and the municipal limits of Thiruvalla continued to remain the worst-affected areas.

Flood water has submerged almost all rural roads in the Upper Kuttanad region and a majority of the scheduled caste colonies in Peringara, Nedumpram, Niranom and Kadapra panchayats have been isolated.

The relief camps opened for the affected families in Upper Kuttanad are at the Thirumoolapuram community hall, Panchayat community hall at Kallumkal, Communist Party of India (Marxist) office at Kallumkal, Mar Thoma LPS at Kallumkal, MTLPS at Thottappuzhassery, Padinjattusserry Government LPS in Kaviyoor panchayat, and St John’s High School at Mepral, besides three other camps in Pandalam village.

Houses destroyed

An official statement issued by the Information and Public Relations Department says that a total of 15 houses were destroyed and 367 others have been damaged in the natural calamity.

The loss has been estimated at Rs.50 lakh and the heavy damage due to crop loss in the area is yet to be assessed.

However, various panchayat authorities in Upper Kuttanad told The Hindu that the actual damage and loss would be much higher than the official figures.

The Mepral-Kidangara, Niranom-Thevery, Mepral-Azhiyidathuchira, and the Cyclemukku-Thevery roads have been totally submerged in the flood.

The KSRTC has stopped services to many interior parts of Upper Kuttanad that have been facing the flood fury. The rivers Pampa, Manimala, Achenkovil and Kakkattar have breached its banks with heavy inflow from the forests during the past 24 hours.

The causeway at Arayanjilimon, Kanamala, and Mukkampatti across Pampa have been submerged by the flood waters.

With the submerging of the causeway, Pampa valley has been isolated.

The shutters of Maniyar barrage at Maniyar near Chittar were opened on Wednesday too following heavy inflow from the catchment areas.

More water release from the Maniyar barrage raised the water level in the rivers Kakkattar and Pampa on Wednesday.

Source:The Hindu, 27 June 2013