After being caught in an unprecedented dry spell, the forest fringes of Pathanamthitta are again experiencing abrupt, intense showers.
As per official estimates, Karippanthodu village in Aruvappulam, a local body on the forest fringes of Konni, received 282 mm of rainfall in the 12 hours that ended at 8.30 a.m. on Monday. As per official estimates by the India Meteorological department, the highest rainfall recorded in Kerala so far this season was 240.5 mm in Vellarikkund panchayat, Kasaragod, on July 6.
Besides Karippanthodu, other settlements across the district’s high-ranges too received intense showers with Manneera receiving 230 mm and Moozhiyar clocking 179.2 mm. With the rain continuing unabated, water level in all major rivers across the region too recorded a steady rise.
The torrential rain also pushed up the inflow to all major reservoirs in the district with the water level in the Maniyar and Moozhiyar barrages touching the maximum storage. Water level in the Kakki-Anathodu and Pampa reservoirs, which till a few days ago had been drying up, too recorded a marginal improvement.
The intense showers that lashed the region also triggered minor landslips and flash floods, causing disruptions in traffic. The heavy overnight rain also forced the Pathanamthitta District Collector to declare a holiday for all educational institutions in Konni taluk on Monday.
With the weather forecasts warning of heavy rain in the State, Pathanamthitta is expected to receive intense showers in the coming days as well.
