From power outages to inundating houses and disrupting the farming calendar of Kuttanad, the heavy rain and strong wind that lashed Kottayam over the second week of August has left a trail of destruction in the region.
Even as floodwaters have gradually begun to recede, a preliminary assessment by the district administration has found that 11 houses have been destroyed and 120 damaged in the rain and wind. The loss sustained by the agriculture sector is pegged at ₹55. 39 crore.
According to officials, the additional crop of paddy sown in upper Kuttanad faces the prospects of a complete washout as in last year.
The widespread loss of paddy crop this season was attributed to flash floods in the Meenachil river and other adjoining waterbodies and the consequent breaching of bunds at several locations. The high ranges in the eastern side of the district, meanwhile, witnessed 11 incidents of landslips during the period, leading to a washout of plantations and other crops on several hectares of land.
Damage to power line
Rain and wind damaged 159 high-tension and 755 low-tension power poles, incurring the Kerala State Electricity Board a loss of over ₹6.99 crore. This was in addition to the snapping of 11 kV power supply lines at 115 locations and low tension lines at 2,851 locations. The damage in the low-lying western side of the district, meanwhile, is yet to be estimated.
During the period, several instances of floodwaters submerging roads and causeways were reported, which incurred a loss of ₹7.22 crore to the Public Works Department (Roads).
Officials with the district administration expects the losses to go up once the floodwaters recede completely.
