Pathanamthitta, which had battled the worst flood in its history two years ago, was once again on the edge on Friday as incessant showers battered the region. Life in the hinterland remained disrupted due to overflowing rivers, rivulets and uprooted trees.
Even as the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple is slated to open on Saturday evening for the Niraputhari festival to be held on Sunday, several parts of the temple’s base camp at Pampa-Triveni remained submerged with the water level in the Pampa rising throughout the day. The sharp rise in water level was attributed to possible landslips in the Sabarimala forests.
The floodwater from the river also entered the Ranni town and caused traffic disruptions at several locations. The Manimala river and the Achencoil river were flowing close to the danger level and breached banks at several points.
In view of the heavy rain, the shutters of the Maniyar barrage were opened up to five metres. The heavy gush of floodwater from the Angamoozhy region prompted the authorities to open the spillways at Aalungal and Kaarikkayam.
In view of the orange alert, the shutters of the Maniyar barrage will remain open till August 10 and this is likely to cause a four-metre rise in the water level of the Pampa.
‘Keep vigil’
In view of the continuing rain, three shutters of the Moozhiyar dam were further raised by 60 cm each on Friday evening. Prior to the opening of the shutters, District Collector P.B. Noohu issued an advisory to the people on the banks of the Pampa and Kakkatt rivers and asked them to exercise caution. Plans are afoot to bring in fishermen from Kollam to conduct rescue operations. The step follows a request to this effect from the Pathanamthitta Collector to the Kollam district administration.
The tahsildars have been entrusted with the shifting of the people in the vulnerable areas to relief camps.
Meanwhile, the authorities sounded an orange alert for the district on Friday.
