Some of the residents in the Thuravumkara and Chengal wards of Kanjoor grama panchayat have been shifted to safer places after several homes in these wards were flooded by water from the Chengalthodu, a small branch of the river Periyar which formerly ran through the area of the present airport operations.
A total of 108 families were shifted to St. Sebastian’s High School in Kanjoor and 18 families have been given shelter in St. Joseph’s High School, Chengal, said panchayat president M.P. Lonappan, who blamed Cochin International Airport authorities for not doing enough to ensure that stormwater drained off through the Chengalthodu.
CIAL blamed
Mr. Lonappan said that the water flow had been curtailed because of the compound wall of the airport and that drain built by CIAL was not effective in meeting the water flow requirements in times of heavy rain. The opening of the Idamalayar dam in the early hours of Thursday had seen water level in the Periyar and its tributaries rising considerably. The airport operations were also partially suspended following rise in water level.
However, a spokesman for CIAL said that the airport authority had nothing more to do to prevent flooding of the panchayat wards neighbouring the airport.
