Thousands of people marooned on rooftops and dry patches of land amid swirling floodwaters were frantically trying to establish contact with emergency services as the raging monsoon continued its dance of destruction across Kerala on Thursday morning. Road and rail traffic was disrupted at several places, communication lines were down and most parts of the State went without power supply, hampering rescue efforts.
Navy teams were toiling hard to rescue families who had to clamber onto roofs and terraces to escape the rising waters in the Pampa river. Ranni, Kozhenchery, Aranmula and Thiruvalla were isolated as the river, swollen with floodwaters discharged from brimming dams, breached its banks. Many of the marooned families, with senior citizens and infants, had to go without food, water and power supply since Wednesday.
"Got a call from a stranger. There are 4 senior citizens and two kids in a house that is getting submerged at Kuthiathode, North Paravur, The helplines are not available. Pl help" — read an SOS message on a Whatsapp group. "Around 30 families stranded on a small island near St.Sebastian church, Chelamattam, Perumbavoor" — read another. Students in college hostels were among those stranded by the floods.
Hamstrung by the lack of sufficient rescue equipment, the administration began efforts to bring fishing boats from Kollam and coracles from tourist destinations to rescue marooned citizens.
An Army team with five boats and heavy equipment was rushed to Kozencharry in the wee hours of Thursday. Five units of the Navy were rushed to Chalakudy, five to North Paravur and five to Muvattupuzha. Two more Coast Guard teams were deployed in Alappuzha. Two MI-17 helicopters were scouting the flooded areas in a bid to locate stranded citizens and rescue them.
The Periyar, Bharathapuzha, Kunthipuzha and Bhavani rivers were in spate. The water level in the Idukki reservoir again began rising with the level crossing the 2401 ft mark. Kochi city huddled down as the waters from the Periyar began invading more areas along the banks in Ernakulam district. The Kochi Metro services were suspended after the yard at Muttom was flooded. Traffic along the Kozhikode-Bangalore, Kottayam-MC road, Kottayam-Kattapana and Kalady MC roads was disrupted and vehiles stranded at many locations.
A Navy team rescued 200 people from a dry patch at Perumbavoor.