Heavy rain continued to wreak havoc in many parts of Kannur district for the third day on Monday. Thalassery, Iritty, Payyanur and Taliparamba were the worst affected areas in the district.
Eleven houses were partially destroyed on Monday, while 23 were damaged on Sunday. As many 137 people from 23 families in the district have been relocated to safer places. There are 59 people in the five relief camps opened in the district. Five houses were damaged when an uprooted tree fell on the structures in strong winds and heavy rain in Padiyangode at Padiyoor village in Iritty taluk. No casualties were reported.
Ten houses in Thalassery taluk have been partially damaged over two days. Ten families from different villages have been shifted to their relatives’ houses. A well in Peringalam village was damaged. Eight houses have been damaged in Taliparamba taluk. A landslip occurred at Vayalalam Anthonymala near Thalassery Kuttimakool.
Heavy rain also caused extensive damage to crops in various parts of the district. According to Principal Agricultural Officer P.K. Ramdas, there is an estimated crop loss of ₹6.91 crore.
In Kasaragod
In Kasaragod, Chandrasekhar, a resident of Madhur, died after he fell into an open pit in a waterlogged field on Sunday. In another incident, K. Sudhan, a resident of Chervathur, died after he fell from a check dam on Monday. Strong winds partially damaged 12 houses near Adukath Bayal beach. The roofs of four houses were destroyed and eight houses were partially damaged at Kasaragod beach. An estimated loss of ₹3 lakh has been ascertained. Families residing in the area were shifted to their relatives’ houses.
In Pilicode, nearly 60 houses were flooded after the drains at Maliyath Road were clogged. Houses were also damaged in Kottikulam village.
In Wayanad
Three of the four shutters of the Banasura Sagar reservoir of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) at Padinharethara in the district were lifted further on Monday owing to heavy inflow of water from the catchment areas of the reservoir. “The shutters have been raised to 75 cm from 15 cm on Monday evening owing to copious rainfall in the catchment area for the past four days,” said dam safety officials. Two shutters of the reservoir were lifted 15 cm on Sunday afternoon when the water level in the reservoir crossed 774.95 metres of the full reservoir level of 775.6 metres, said sources. District Collector Adeela Abdulla directed people living on the banks of the Panamaram river to be alert. If needed, people should move to safer areas, she said.
According to disaster control room sources, no casualties have been reported.
In Palakkad
The shutters of three dams in the district were opened following heavy rain since Saturday. While the shutters of Malampuzha and Pothundi dams were opened on Sunday, those of Walayar dam were raised on Monday morning.
Although there was let-up in rain on Monday, the inflow to the reservoirs of Kanhirapuzha, Malampuzha, Shiruvani, Pothundi, Walayar, and Mangalam dams continued. The shutters of Kanhirapuzha and Mangalam dams had been raised.
Irrigation officials said if the inflow into the reservoir continued in the coming days, the shutters would have to be raised further.
Although it rained heavily in Attappady, Mannarkkad, Nelliyampathy and Parambikulam on Monday afternoon, no untoward incident was reported. Parambikkulam received 53 mm rain since Sunday, while Alathur got 18.5 mm. It rained 14 mm in Chittur, 28.6 mm in Kollangode, 46.2 mm in Ottapalam, 32.2 mm in Thrithala, 39.8 mm in Palakkad, 45 mm in Mannarkkad, and 31.1 mm in Pattambi.
In Thrissur
Many houses were damaged and trees uprooted in a whirlwind that lashed the hillside of Varantharappilly in the district on Monday. The wind caused damage in Karikkulam, Vettingappadam and Vadanthole areas.
Power supply was disrupted as electric posts were damaged. Standing crops were damaged, and nutmeg, plantain and rubber trees uprooted. Traffic was disrupted as many trees fell on the road.
The spillway shutters of Peechi and Chimmini dams were opened on Monday as the catchment areas of the dams received heavy rain. The KSEB started power production at small hydroelectric projects at the dams. The shutters of Peringalkuthu and Parambikkulam dams were opened on Sunday.
As water level in Manalippuzha has increased after the release of water from Peechi, people living along the river have been asked to remain vigilant. Fishing, bathing and washing in the river have been banned temporarily. Water level in Kurumali and Karivannur rivers also increased after the shutters of Chimmini dam were opened.
(With inputs from Kasaragod, Wayanad, Palakkad and Thrissur bureaus)
