IDUKKI: Even as stunned residents and government employees began clean-up and repair after the devastating floods and landslides in the past two days, some are worried that it could happen again with intermittent rains lashing across the district on Friday.
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Rain and gusty winds, with a chance of heavy downpour and localised flooding, are forecast from Friday through Monday morning.
What's more worrying is that despite opening their shutters, major dams, including Mullaperiyar, Idukki and Idamalayar, are filled to the brim.
"Hopefully, there isn't any (more flooding). I don't know how much more rain could we take," said Jafer, a resident of Munnar, where at least six persons were killed or swept away by floodwaters in separate incidents after 132.3 mm rain fell on Thursday.
Rescue operations continued at various parts of the district on Friday as a small army of workers began to remove mud, uprooted trees and other material that washed away residential areas at Pachady near Nedumkandam on Thursday.
Roads, low-lying areas and farmlands were flooded after 195 mm of rain fell on Friday in Vandiperiyar, Upputhara, Kumily, Elappara, Manjumala, Kokkayar and Vagamon, which comes under the Peerumade taluk.
But the worst was reserved for people who reside along the banks of Periyar river at the Karimkulam Chappathu area, where the rain was heaviest and water released from Mullaperiyar rushed down through the river submerging the entire town.
Roads were partially or completely closed due to piling up of debris or pavement collapses.
Cash crop sector of the district including tea, cardamom, coffee have been seriously affected and growers said this will severely impact the annual supply from the district.