The incessant downpours continued to wreak havoc in Kottayam for the third consecutive day on Tuesday, bringing normal life to a halt across the region.
The people of Kottayam woke up to reports of yet another wave of floods taking shape in the high ranges owing to the incessant rain overnight, which triggered a major landslip near the Marmala waterfalls on the upstream of the Meenachil river. The horror, however, did not come true as the water level in the waterbody, which rose sharply during the early hours of the day, receded soon.
Water level in major rivers across the region, however, remained well above the warning level throughout the day, inundating low-lying parts along the riverbanks.
The Meenachil, which flows in full spate, breached banks at several points and once again brought Pala town to a standstill. Faced by the prospects of another bout of floods within a week, merchandise stocked at shops had been shifted to safe locations by the previous day itself.
Relief camps
As per officials estimates, 27 relief camps were opened in the district till Tuesday evening, which together accommodated 469 persons from 148 families. The rain has claimed two lives from the district so far. A massive search was launched for two fishermen who had gone missing in the Vembanad lake since Monday afternoon.
A meeting convened by Minister V.N. Vasavan at Mundakkayam, which reviewed the progress of the rescue and relief operations, decided to dismantle the check-dam at Koottickal. It further directed the Irrigation department to clear the debris deposited underneath bridges and check-dams which obstructed the flow of floodwaters through the rivers.
The Agriculture, Revenue and Local Self-Government departments have been directed to take stock of the damage sustained to asses the compensation. The Minister promised steps to waive the registration fee required to purchase land for those who have lost their property in the calamity.
A 25-member team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has reached Erattupetta to coordinate the rescue operations. Traffic along the causeways which had been taken over by the floodwaters the other day was restored with the help of the Fire and Rescue Services personnel.
