KOCHI: For the past couple of days, the fringe areas of Ernakulam, mainly Aluva and Eloor, have been bearing the brunt of floods. But right from the wee hours of Thursday, city residents too have begun to face the consequences of shutters being opened at Edamalayar and Idukki dams as prime residential areas in Edappally, Thuthiyyur and Ponnurunni got inundated.
The situation was worse in the residential areas along the Edappaly river extension canal after water started overflowing. Many of the panic-struck residents have not moved out of their partially submerged houses as they couldn’t come to terms with the fact their houses have been inundated. “We have been living here for the past 23 years. This is the first time we are facing such an alarming situation. We never expected this,” said Satheesh Warrier, one of the residents of Chambokkadavu Road in Edappally. Here, over 43 villas were fully submerged.
Manju S, another resident, said it was from Wednesday afternoon water started to enter the premises of the house and by Thursday morning the ground floor was completely submerged.“A few residents are reluctant to move out. Many have shifted to the houses of friends while others have taken rooms in hotels,” she said. Another resident Subhash K said the water-level rose so quickly they didn’t even have time to shift the furniture from the ground floor to the first floor.“If the discharge from the dams continues, the situation will worsen. We have requested those families which have not vacated their homes so far to move to safer locations,” Subhash said.