Kottayam district has been faced with an unprecedented monsoon fury with torrential rains claiming at least three lives in the district during the past 24 hours.
Scores of major landslips have been reported from Erattupetta, Melucavu, Enthayar stretch and towns including Pala and Kottayam have been cut off from the rest of the district on account of widespread inundation.
The district administration has declared holiday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges, on Tuesday and Mahatma Gandhi University has postponed all examinations scheduled for Tuesday.
Those who lost life in the flash floods have been identified. Sivankutty (50) of Cheruvally in Kanjrappally thaluk had fallen into the Manimala river while the body of a migrant labourer was found in the Meenachil river at Nagambadom on Monday. K.V. Joseph of Peruva was washed away in the Meenachil river.
Two more missing
According to reports, two persons had gone missing in the Manimala river near Erumeli and another person Deepu of Bangalowparambil House, Kanjirappally had gone missing in the Azhutha river.
Pala inundated
Pala town remained cut off from the rest of the district and witnessed unprecedented inundation with all three major roads, Kottayam-Pala, Ponkunnam-Pala and Erattupetta-Pala highways were inundated.
Meanwhile, Enthayar and Erattupetta witnessed landslips following the heavy rain that started on Saturday evening.
Landslips have been reported from Chonamala in Thalanadu village, Poonjar, Pathaampuzha, Teekoy and Attikkulam in Meenachil thaluk and Elamkadu and Kunnadu areas in Kanjirappally.
The western suburbs of Kottayam town have been inundated forcing people out of their houses. Buses have stopped plying on the roads in these villages.
Traffic on Alappuzha-Changanassery (AC) Road also remained suspended as the highway submerged in flood waters.
In relief camps
According to district authorities, at least 7,444 persons including 1,409 children have been moved to 83 relief camps in the district till 5 p.m. on Monday.
In Kottayam taluk alone 30 camps have been opened.
According to preliminary reports, paddy crop in 1,000 ha has been submerged in flood waters. The loss to PWD so far has been put at ₹2.5 crore.
