The south-west parts of Thrissur district are still reeling under the impact of flash floods which started on Friday night. Situation has improved in other parts of the district.
Forty-two villages in and around the Kole fields and on the banks of the Canolly canal and the Herbert canal have been inundated with the Karuvannur river changing its direction near the Arattupuzha temple and Ettumuna.
Bund breached
The Karuvannur river, to which the water from Chimmini reservoir and Manali river flows, changed its direction as temporary bund at Chirakuzhy breached.
Floods destroyed the bund road from Arattupuzha to Karuvannur. The river spread to seven kilometres. Around 200 people from 30-odd families, from Pallissery-Panankulam to Arattupuzha bridge, were stranded.
They were rescued by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Around 20 relief camps were opened in Cherpu area. The Thrissur-Kodungallur road was submerged in floodwaters.
Hundreds of houses in Cherpu, Arattupuzha, Ettumuna, Muthulliyal, Chenam, Inchamudi, Pullu, Manakody, Chettupuzha and Panankulam areas were submerged.
Thousands shifted
As the water reached Kole fields, thousands of people from the banks of Canolly canal were shifted to relief camps. Even thousands of acres of Kole fields couldn’t contain the flash floods. Water was not flowing to the sea due to high tides.
Rumours about breaching of Enamavu lock created panic. Valappad-Chavakkad road was inundated. Major casualties were averted as people left the areas before the situation worsened.
Army help
Ministers A.C. Moideen and V.S. Sunil Kumar reached Arattupuzha and reviewed the situation.
The help of the Army would be sought to reconstruct the breached bund to control the flow of Karuvannur river, Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar said.