The eastern high ranges of Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts of Kerala appear to have been caught in yet another devastating series of floods and landslides with the intensifying monsoon.
As per preliminary reports, one person went missing in a heavy gush of water reported from the Kollamula village in Pathanamathitta. He was identified as 22-year-old Adwaith, a native of Chathanthara. Officials said he was caught in the flood waters around 8 p.m. while crossing the Palakakkavu bridge near Mukkoottuthara. Another youth, identified as Samuel, was rescued by the Fire and Rescue Service personnel.
Kottayam’s rain woes
In Kottayam, a major mudslide was reported from Moonnilavu near Kanjirappally, which entered several homes and commercial establishments . Crops in several acres of land too were reported to have been destroyed.
The Vandanpathal village, near Erumeli, also reported a heavy gush of flood water, which entered at least eight homes. The heavy rain also caused traffic disruptions in different locations, including the Erumeli-Mundakkayam road. The Randattumunni bridge near Vakakkadu was completely submerged in the flood water.
Also read: Flood-ravaged villages in Kottayam district hit by a double whammy of climate crisis
As many as three persons who were trapped on a bridge were rescued by the Fire and Rescue Service personnel.
The Revenue department has initiated measures to relocate residents of the affected areas in Kanjirappally. A control room that functions round the clock has been opened at the Kottayam collectorate to coordinate the relief and rescue operations.
The heavy spell of showers that lashed the region the other day had triggered a landslide inside the Thumarampara forests near Erumeli.
