Incessant rain for close to a week now has led to a steep rise in the water level in the Pampa, Manimala and Achenkovil rivers and their tributaries.
The low-lying areas of Upper Kuttanad in Thiruvalla taluk are the worst hit, leaving many rural roads inundated with flood waters.
Many parts of the Upper Kuttanad villages of Kadapra, Peringara, Mepral, Niranom, Chathankary and Muttar remain flooded. People restrain themselves from going out of their houses due to the flood threat looming large over the Upper Kuttanad region. Children from the interior areas have to wade through the flood waters to reach school. Parents transport their children in country-made rafts in Peringara.
The settlement colonies of Alamthuruthy, Mundappally and Vengal have already been isolated as flood waters surround the settlements.
The Niranom-Thottady Road, Kavumbhagom-Karackal Road, Peringara-Karackal Road and Vaikkathilom-Chathankary Road in Upper Kuttanad have been inundated. Traffic on the Niranom-Viyapuram link highway too has been disrupted since Monday as the road remains submerged in the flood waters along certain stretches.
Sources at Kerala State Electricity Board said that the catchment areas of Sabarigiri as well as Kakkad hydel projects continued to receive heavy rain.
Control rooms
District Collector S. Lalithambika said the district administration had opened control rooms at the Collectorate as well as at all five taluk
headquarters in the district to monitor the flood situation and extend relief to the affected areas. The phone numbers of the control rooms are: Pathanamthitta Collectorate: 0468-2222515, 2222507; Thiruvalla: 0469-2601303, 2740103; Adoor: 04734-224826; Mallappally: 0469-2682293, 2784499; Kozhencherry: 0468-2222221, 2270776; and Ranni: 04735-227442, 229214
