Chengannur, Tiruvalla taluks face fresh threat of flooding

With the opening of the Anathodu, Pampa and Kochupampa dams which pushed up the water level in the pampa, several places in Chengannur and Tiruvalla Taluk have been submerged.

The flooded Chengannur-Kozhenchery Road at Sathrakkadavu in Aranmula on Saturday | Express

Tiruvalla: With the opening of the Anathodu, Pampa and Kochupampa dams which pushed up the water level in the pampa, several places in Chengannur and Tiruvalla Taluk have been submerged. This has brought back the horrors of the massive flooding witnessed in the region in mid-July.

“When the water level goes down in the Ranni and Kozhenchery regions of the Pampa, the people in Tiruvalla taluk’s Upper Kuttanad region will be alerted about flood. It will take around six hours for the water from the Kozhenchery region of Pampa to reach Upper Kuttanad,” Revenue authorities said.

However, compared with last month’s deluge, the latest flooding is unlikely to impact the people since the low water level in the Manimala river helped them to prevent the rise in the floodwater. Revenue authorities said they had opened 108 relief camps. But only 17 relief camps are working in Pathanamthitta district.

“Fifteen camps have been opened in the Upper Kuttanadu region of Tiruvalla taluk. Niranam, Kadapra Kavumbhagam and Nedumbram villages have been declared as flood-hit . 523 persons from 163 families were shifted to the relief camps on Saturday. More camps will be opened if the flood situation worsens,” they said.

The Central team had visited Upper Kuttanadu on Friday. Twenty-three bridges were damaged and 844 roads lost in the flood. 9,353 people from 2,538 families had shifted to relief camps during the previous flood. Thirteen persons lost their life in the floods and 20 houses were destroyed, the Collector had apprised the delegation.