Torrential rain and strong winds in the past two days have left a trail of destruction in parts of the Malabar region. The southwest monsoon claimed the lives of two children in Wayanad district on Wednesday.
Strong wind and incessant rain disrupted power supply in different parts of the region on Wednesday. Several houses were damaged, power lines snapped and trees uprooted in heavy winds.
In Wayanad, six-year old Jyothika, daughter of Babu of Kolakkara tribal settlement at Vlad near Thalappuha, died after being hit by a branch of a tree that collapsed near their house around 2 a.m. on Wednesday. Her father has been admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode with serious injuries. Five-year-old Unnimaya, daughter of Unnikirishnan of Velagathodu Kattunayaka tribal hamlet at Achoor near Pozhuthana, was crossing a rivulet along with her parents when she was trapped in a water current at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
According to Revenue Department sources, more than a dozen houses were partially damaged in the past 24 hours. Vehicular movement was disrupted in many parts of the district after uprooted trees blocked traffic. Power supply remained disrupted for long hours even in town areas, as electric posts were uprooted after trees fell on power lines.
Most parts of the district experienced very heavy rainfall on the day. The Chooralmala region in Meppadi grama panchayat received 370 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours, while Mudakkai region in the panchayat got 241 mm and Thattamala region in Thondernad grama panchayat received 180 mm.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rain across the district till August 6 and issued a red alert consequent to which the district administration has raised vigil.
About 200 people in various tribal hamlets of the district have been shifted to nearby relief camps.
The spillway shutters of the Karapuzha reservoir was opened 15 cm on Wednesday as a precautionary measure. The inflow of water in the catchment area is very high.
Dam safety officials of the Banasura Sagar reservoir of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) at Padinharethara have opened a round-the-clock control room (9496011981 or 04936 274474) to address the doubts of people on water level in the dam.
In Kozhikode
Strong winds and incessant rain disrupted power supply in different parts of the district on Wednesday. Though the KSEB managed to restore power in most of the urban areas by noon, many villages remained unattended following rough weather. KSEB officials said the uprooted trees destroyed many electric poles in the rural areas, making quick repair impossible. The supply was cut in many locations and it could be cleared by Thursday noon, they said.
In Vadakara taluk, many tile-thatched houses were damaged in the heavy wind. Perambra and Cheruvannur were the worst-affected regions where a large number of avenue trees were uprooted in the wind on Tuesday night. The roof of a temple at Theekkuni was destroyed by an uprooted tree. Some of the parked vehicles too were damaged in rain-related calamities.
In Malappuram, Palakkad
Strong winds on Tuesday night caused widespread damage in Malappuram and Palakkad districts. Hundreds of trees were uprooted and several houses damaged. Power lines widely got snapped in the wind. Many KSEB sections remained powerless throughout Wednesday even as hundreds of KSEB staff worked to restore the connection. No casualties were reported. However, a surge in water levels in the Chaliyar, Bharatapuzha, Kadalundipuzha, and Thoothapuzha made people step up their vigil. Boats were kept ready at several places in view of potential floods.
In Kannur
Uprooted trees in many places damaged a few buildings and blocked roads. In Chalode-Irikkur and Mattanur, uprooted trees damaged a bus shelter and broke electricity lines on Wednesday morning. Two trees fell near the drinking water treatment plant at 19 Mile on the Chavasseri-Pazhassi dam road. The granite walls of the plant were damaged. The trees were later removed by the Fire and Rescue Services personnel. An uprooted tree blocked road traffic on the National Highway near Dharmashala in the morning. No loss of life has been reported from the district.
