Chalakudy: With heavy downpour in the catchments and huge inflow, water level in the Chalakudy river rose by over 16 feet in the last 24 hours, leaving the Muringoor bridge on the NH 544 inundated and isolating the Chalakudy town from the mainland.
Apart from Chalakudy town, key routes and areas surrounding Meloor, Pariyaram and Kodassery have also been heavily flooded, leaving several hundreds of people stranded. The water rose up to the level of the Muringoor bridge and started running over the roadway. The bridge connecting Annamanada and Koratty has also been inundated.
At four different points on the NH stretch between Thrissur and Ernakulam, water has gone up by four feet since Wednesday night. There are many areas that remain inaccessible to rescue and relief workers.
The Chalakudy river started overflowing after the combined water discharge from the dams at Thunakadavu, Parambikulam, Upper Sholayar and Peringalkuthu.
Around 7 km of low-lying stretch close to the banks of the river was heavily flooded following the sudden inflow of water from the Periyar into the Canoli canal and downstream areas.
Flood waters marooned many houses and commercial establishments in the panchayats of Athirappilly, Pariyaram, Kodassery, Meloor, Kadukutty, Annamanada, and Kuzhoor. Severe water logging has made life miserable for hundreds of families in Mala, Mambra and Cheruvaloor.