Incessant and unusually heavy rain since the early hours of Thursday triggered by cyclone Maha has left a trail of woes and destruction along the coastal areas stretching from the southern end of Chellanam to Nayaramablam in the north. While no casualties were reported, there have been widespread flooding of homes, destruction of fishing boats, and shifting of people to safer places on Thursday.
Chellanam and Vypeen have been seriously affected, and nearly 100 people have taken shelter at camps opened by the district administration. They include 55 persons from 15 families at UP School, Edvanakkad, and 41 persons from 10 families at Government Fisheries School, Njarakkal.
A 20-member team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is camping at a local school to respond to emergencies.
As many as 26 traditional fishing boats have been damaged beyond repair at Fort Kochi. Fishing gear and nets too have borne the brunt of high waves and sea incursion.
Data from Meteorological Centre, Thiruvanthapuram, showed that Ernakulam district had received 594.4 mm of rain between October 1 and 31 against the long-term average of 311.7 mm, a departure of 91%, and the coastal areas have taken a hard hit.
The worst of incidents have been at Chellanam at the southern end of the district where at least 500 homes have been flooded, bringing life to a halt, said panchayat vice president K.D. Prasad. Jinson Veluthamannungal of Paschima Kochi Theera Samrakshana Samiti at Chellanam said seawalls, wherever they were left crumbling, had sunk further, creating a precarious situation as more rain has been forecast.
Companypady, Bazaar, Velankanni, Maruvakkad, Ambedkar Gramam, Saudi and Kannamaly coasts have sustained serious erosion over the last 48 hours. Sea incursion took a serious turn in the early hours of Thursday, with winds intensifying and high waves lashing furiously at the shore.
Meanwhile, the panchayat authorities are contemplating shifting the worst affected to a shelter at the LP School. Septage tanks have turned unusable at a few homes. Some portions of the coastal road are under water though traffic has not been seriously affected, Mr. Prasad said. A total of 841 rain-affected people from Kochi taluk have been sheltered at four relief camps.
In the north, Vypeen, Njarakkal, Nayarambalam, and Edavanakkad have been seriously affected. The popular Arattupuzha beach has virtually disappeared, and the coastal road has been flooded, bringing traffic to a standstill, said P.V. Jayan, district secretary, Paramparagatha Matsya Thozhilali Samiti. He added that fishermen, heeding early warning, had shifted their boats to safety before the high waves hit the shores, There has been no report of damage to fishing boats so far.
Njarakkal panchayat president Shilda Reibero said personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services Department had been helping out people affected by floods even as a shelter camp has been opened at Fisheries School, Njarakkal. Ward No.1 and Sagar Rani beach area have also been seriously hit.
Edavanakkad panchayat president K.U. Jeevanmitra said sea incursion had been noticed since the early hours of Thursday. Most sand barriers erected to prevent flooding have been washed away. Chanthangad, Aniyil, Pazhangad, and Kannuvilakkettu in the east, lying close to the backwaters, have been seriously affected. A shelter camp has been opened at Government LP School, Edavanakkad.
