The Alappuzha district administration has opened eight more relief camps as rain and sea erosion continued to batter parts of the district on Sunday.
Officials said that a total of 359 people of 122 families were shifted to 19 relief camps opened so far in the district, which included six in Cherthala, five in Ambalappuzha, and four each in Mavelikara and Karthikappally taluks. Besides, the district administration has arranged 91 food distribution centres including 72 in Karthikappally and 19 in Ambalappuzha taluks for 6,692 people of 1,836 families.
Coastal areas of the district were battered by rough sea for the fourth day in a row. A.M. Ariff, MP, visited the sea erosion ravaged areas of Valiazheekal and Arattupuzha on Sunday. Meanwhile, many parts of Kuttanad have been waterlogged following a rise in water levels in rivers. Floodwaters entered houses. Parts of the Alappuzha-Changanassery (AC) road have been submerged. “Heavy rains clubbed with an increase in flow of water from the eastern side have resulted in waterlogging in Kuttanad. We are closely monitoring water levels in rivers. The situation is under control for the time being,” said a revenue official.
Kuttanad has witnessed a series of outer bund breaches in recent days, which resulted in the inundation of several houses. The Irrigation Department has so far raised 23 shutters of the Thottappally spillway. It also opened the majority of the shutters of the Thanneermukkom bund.
With sea conditions expected to remain rough, fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea until further notice.