More landslides hit Kerala as rain fury continues

Fresh landslides hit different areas of northern Kerala on Monday just as people were beginning to come out of the anxiety caused by the monsoon fury of five consecutive days that has caused unimaginable devastation even as controls were imposed on the visit by devotees to the famous Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala due to the flooding of river Pamba after shutters of several dams in the region were opened. However, relief began to dawn among the people living in the downstream areas of the giant threedam Idukki hydel reservoir as water level in the it dipped to safer levels as a result of draining of water through the shutters in the Cheruthoni dam and a marked drop in the inflow to the reservoir from the catchment areas.

As per reports from Idukki, two of the five shutters of the Cheruthoni dam were lowered totally after reservoir water level dropped considerably late Monday evening.

Also, the rate of water being discharges from the reservoir was reportedly lowered from 750 cubic meters per second to 300 cubic meters per second.

In Ernakulam district, more families returned on Monday to their houses from the relief camps to where they had been shifted to three days back after the water level in River Periyar at Aluva north of Kochi had gone up alarmingly with water released from the Idamalayar and Idukki hydel reservoirs upstream.

Sporadic heavy rainfall continued to lash many regions of the State, especially the hilly Wayanad district and the mountainous areas of Kozhikode and Malappuram districts which had suffered widespread devastation due to multiple landslides, swelling of rivers and flooding of farmlands and habitats in the three days starting last Wednesday.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) administering the Sabarimala temple imposed restrictions on the movement of pilgrims reaching the hill shrine for the Niraputhari festival and monthly worship after water level in River Pamba at the foothills rose dangerously after shutters of the dams constituting the Sabarigiri Hydel Project were opened following heavy rainfall.

The TDB and the Pathanamthitta district administration decided not to allow pilgrims to enter Pamba, the base camp for Sabarimala, where water was flowing over the only foot bridge. Many facilities of the TDB and restaurants and shops at Pamba have been waterlogged. Pilgrims reaching Pamba by ignoring the warning would be stopped at the base camp, reports said.

In a fresh rain-related incident, a massive landslide hit Namboorippadam near Akampadam in the Thenpara forest region of Nilambur, Malappuram on Monday afternoon worsening anxiety after two days of relative relief. The landslide had occurred near Chettiyampara where six members of a family were killed last Thursday after being trapped in a water current triggered by a landslide.

However, there were no casualties in the landslide on Monday. Several families were shifted to safer places from the region considering the possibility of swelling of the Kurvanpuzha river in the area. The Department of Geology had earlier warned the people of the possibility of further landslides. At least 25 landslides had occurred in Malappuram since last Wednesday.

A bridge over the Iruvazhinji river in the hilly Thiruvambady region of Kozhikode district was washed away in floodwaters immediately after the landslide in Nilambur. It is said that the incident was related to the landslide in Nilambur. Landslide was reported on Monday also from Mammattikkanam near Rajakkad in Idukki district.

The shutters of Malampuzha dam in Palakkad district were lifted further from 35 CM to 45 CM after inflow into the reservoir increased following a landslide in Anakkallu forest in the catchment area of the reservoir. Palakkad town and adjacent places had suffered unprecedented flooding last week after the Malampuzha dam shutters were lifted last week.

Several hectares of farmlands were buried under mud in landslips at Kurichyarmala and Thavinjar in Wayanad district late Sunday night. These areas had been hit by massive landslides last week. At least 40 landslides had reportedly hit the catchment area of the Banasurasagar hydel reservoir in Wayanad last week forcing urgent opening of dam shutters.

As heavy rains continued to lash several parts of Wayanad district on Monday, anxiety rose among the people living in the downstream areas of the Banasurasagar reservoir, who had suffered unimaginable losses last week after the dam shutters were opened without warning, as the dam shutters were lifted 150 CM in the evening.

At least 40 persons have been killed in the State in rain-related incidents like landslides and flooding since last Wednesday after the southwestern monsoon activity intensified in its third spell. As per the preliminary estimates of the State Government, the rain fury has caused losses to the tune of over Rs 8,316 crore due in the farm, housing and infrastructure sectors.