The District-level Disaster Management Authority in Kozhikode continued its vigil on Monday too, though the rain subsided on the day. Only some interior areas of Thamarassery taluk witnessed heavy rainfall. Unlike the previous day, the water-level did not rise to dangerous levels in the Iruvazhinji, Kuttiyadi, Poonoor, and Cherupuzha rivers.
The death of a 23-year-old who fell into the Vilangad river was one of the major incidents in the past three days. The body of Stechin Mathew, who drowned in the river around 7 p.m. on Sunday, was handed over to the relatives after the post-mortem on Monday. The Kuttiyadi police conducted the inquest.
Revenue department officials from Vadakara taluk office said the incident was reported to their higher authorities as a rain-related death. The youth had accidentally slipped down into the overflowing river, they said.
Members of three families, who were shifted to safer locations on Sunday in Vadakara taluk, returned home on Monday as the situation improved. Officials said there were no relief camps currently functioning in the taluk. Revenue officials from Koyilandy, Thamarassery, and Kozhikode said there had been no emergency calls to open relief camps.
Meanwhile, the crumbling of the retaining walls of river banks was noticed in many locations subsequent to the latest episodes of incessant rain. Families staying closer to the Kuttiyadi river complained of the issue. Some of them also claimed that there was no effective intervention by the local administrators to address their concern.
