Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy rains lashing Kerala, causing floods and landslides have taken a toll on many lives in the state while pushing hundreds to relief camps.
The shutters of the Pamba dam were lifted on Sunday following the rise in water levels here. Pathanamthitta District Collector PB Nooh ordered to lift the shutters at 983.5 meters on the recommedation of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority.
All six shutters of the dam have been lifted. The water level at Pamba river is expected to rise by 40cm and reach Ranni area. An alert has been issued to the residents living at the banks of the river.
The shutters were raised now to avoid the sudden flooding of areas in the Pathanamthitta district, the collector said.
Security has been tightened in Ranni and Aranmula regions of Pathanamthitta district. A total of 3,342 people have been shifted to the 103 relief camps opened in the district.
Anticipating breach of the river in areas downstream of Pathanamthitta, the district administration has sought the assistance of fishermen to carry out rescue operations.
Fishermen from Neendakara and Alappad in neighbouring Kollam district will reach vulnerable areas of Pathanamthitta, including Thiruvalla and Adoor with 15 boats, officials said.
Last month, 30 fishermen arrived from Kollam with 10 boats deployed at Kozhencherry and Ranni, officials said. Nearly 100 families living in the vulnerable areas in Ranni have been shifted to safety, they said.
Water level rises at Mullaperiyar
The water level of the Mullaperiyar dam crossed 136 feet on Sunday.
Idukki district authorities had earlier instructed residents on the bank of the river to evacuate the area once the water level crosses 136 feet.
The Kerala government has also requested Tamil Nadu to open the spillway once the water level crossed 136 feet mark.
A five member committe will visit the dam on Monday to evaluate the situation.
Casualties rise
A case of drowning was reported in Kottayam on Sunday. Justin, who hailed from Manjapra near Angamaly in Ernakulam district, drowned at Palamuri in Kottayam. He was an airport taxi driver.
The incident happened in the wee hours of Sunday, when he was returning to Kochi after a ride. His taxi was washed away by the strong water currents at Manarcad area. His body and the vehicle were retrieved from a nearby field by an NDRF team.
Meanwhile, five people, including a three-year-old, were killed in Kerala on Saturday.
The deceased were identified as Nethal (3), native of Chennam-Pallippuram, Anandan (60) of Mavelikkara in Alappuzha district, N B Pradeep (38), native of Seethangoli, Kabilath (85) of Konnakkad in Kasaragod district and Babu (52) of Chapparapadavu in Kannur district.
Saraswathi (70) from Ramankary in Kuttanadu region of Alappuzha district is missing. Search is on to find her.
The state has been witnessing incessant rain since Friday, which has caused loss of many lives, severe damages to houses and livelihoods of people in the hilly district of Idukki. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted "very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall" from August 6, Thursday, till August 9, Sunday.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority, Kerala received an average rainfall of 95 mm till Saturday, while Vadakara in Kozhikode district recorded 32.7 cm of rain, the heaviest in the state.
Red alert in seven districts
A red alert has been sounded for Alappuzha, Idukki, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod and Malappuram districts on Sunday. The Met department has predicted extremely heavy rainfall in these regions on Sunday.
Orange alert has been sounded in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad. Thiruvananthapuram is the only district with a yellow alert.
In its latest update, released at 10am on Sunday, the weatherman said, "Moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied with gusty wind speed reaching 40 KMPH is likely at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur & Kasaragod districts of Kerala."
The Met department advised fishermen against venturing into seas as it expects "strong wind with speed reaching 50-60 kmph" along and off the coasts of Kerala, Karnataka and Lakshadweep.
"High waves in the range of 3.5 - 3.8 meters are forecasted till 11:30pm of August 10 along the Kerala coast from Pozhiyoor in Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod," the Met department said on Sunday. Vaythiri in Wayanad received 19.3 cms of rain while Peerumedu in Idukki district got 18.5 cms.
In the four-month-long Southwest monsoon season, which began in June first week, Kerala has reported a total of 51 deaths till Thursday night due to various incidents of drowning, landslides, and tree fall.
Kottayam, Alappuzha inundated
Normal life of people in low lying areas of Kottayam and Alappuzha has been affected with flood waters entering their homes. Low-lying areas in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts have been badly hit due to flooding.
Hundreds of families have been shifted to relief camps from-low lying areas, including Kumarakom and Kuttanad regions of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts, they said.
Farming in Kuttanad 'Below Sea Level Farming System', the only such one in India practicing rice cultivation below sea level for the past two centuries, has been affected due to the breach of bunds due to floods, farmers of the area said.
The Meenachil river is overflowing at Pala town in Kottayam, flooding the Kottaramattom area. The river breached its banks at various spots along the Pala-Erattupetta road, prompting authorities to halt traffic through the route.
People residing close to Kakkadu river as well as natives of Maniyar, Perunad, Vadasserikkara, Ranni, Kozhenjery and Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district have been asked to stay vigilant. A flood alert has been sounded in low-lying areas of Chengannur (Pathanamthitta), Puthankavu, Idanadu and Mangalam.
Rains in hilly areas have caused a sudden rise in water level in rivers flowing through Ernakulam district, which was battered in the 2018 August deluge that claimed over 400 lives and left lakhs of people homeless in the state.
As a precautionary measure, the Ernakulam district administration has opened camps in Aluva and Muvattupuzha. Several families have been shifted to the camps after flood waters entered residential areas in Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam, Kochi and Parvur taluks.
In view of landslides, Ernakulam District Collector S Suhas issued an order banning all mining activities in the district.
Dams swell
Pamba, Achankovil, Meenachil, Manimala and Gayathri rivers in the state remain in spate due to the incessant rains on Sunday. As a result, Ponmudi, Kundala, Kallarkutty, Irattayar, Lower Periyar, Kallar dams in Idukki, Moozhiyar, Pamba dams in Pathanamthitta, Peringalkuthu dam in Thrissur and Kakkayam dam in Kozhikode district have swollen.
Two landslides were reported near Kakkayam dam on Friday. However, no causalities have been reported so far.
Rescue mission continues at Rajamala
Meanwhile, the rescue mission is continuing in full swing for the third day at Pettimudi near Rajamala in Idukki district, where a massive landslide destroyed at least 20 houses of tea estate workers on early Friday.
The death toll on Saturday climbed to 43 with 17 more bodies being recovered from the debris, as efforts were on amid continuing rains to locate those missing. As many as 78 people were staying at the spot where the tragedy occurred. Twelve of them were rescued on Friday.
12 teams of NDRF
Meanwhile, the state government have deployed 12 teams of NDRF at various places in Kerala to address any contingency.
On Saturday, three teams from Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu reached Kerala. Most of them are deployed in the northern parts of the state. Three teams have been deployed for the rescue efforts at Pettimudi landslide site.
Rest of the teams are stationed at Wayanad, Palakkad, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Alappuzha districts.