MALAPPURAM: Much of Malappuram district remained paralysed on Wednesday as floodwaters in seven rivers refused to recede.
Two more persons drowned on Wednesday, putting the rain related death toll in the district since Monday evening at 10.
Kailas, a labourer from Orissa, drowned at Kondotty on Wednesday morning. Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran said here that the Government would arrange for his body to be sent to Orissa.
Mohammed Faizal, 22, son of Mohammed Ali from Cherukara in Elamkulam panchayat, drowned in a quarry after he fell from a tree on Wednesday afternoon.
Thousands of families were evacuated as floodwaters of Kadalundipuzha, Bharatapuzha and Chaliyar inundated their banks. Hundreds of houses in low-lying areas continued to be under floodwaters on Wednesday afternoon.
Towns in the district wore a holiday appearance as educational institutions and most business establishments remained closed.
Traffic in the district was thrown out of gear for the second day. Attendance in offices was low since many people could not travel from town to town as connecting roads remained flooded.
Long queues of trucks heading for Palakkad and Tamil Nadu were seen at Kavungal near Malappuram town. “We have been waiting here since Tuesday morning for the floodwaters to recede,” said K. Salam, a truck driver carrying tiles from Mangalore to Coimbatore.
Local people said they had never seen such furious floods before. “The riverside of Malappuram had been badly hit in 1994 and 1997, but never like this. This is the worst flood we have had in recent memory,” said P. Sunderarajan, an environmentalist whose house on the banks of the Kadalundipuzha was submerged.
Mr. Sunderarajan said he lost many important papers, including letters from eminent literary personalities and records of movements for justice.
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