KOCHI: The intermittent heavy rainfall in Ernakulam district has led to the Muvattupuzha river and the Periyar flowing above the danger mark. With the rivers breaching their banks, houses located in low-lying areas in the panchayats along the river banks have been inundated. Also, people living in areas which are prone to landslides have been shifted to safer places, said the District Disaster Management Authority.
According to the information provided by collector N S K Umesh, 22 relief camps were opened in the district on Tuesday. “Relief camps have been opened at Aluva, Kothamangalam, Kunnathunad, Muvattupuzha and Paravoor,” said the collector.
In Aluva, six camps housing 51 people have been opened. At Kothamangalam, two camps are housing 62 people. In Muvattupuzha there are three camps with 73 inmates. Paravoor has three camps with 153 people. “The total number of people living in the camps is 613,” he said.
As per IMD reports, Ernakulam received 73.04 mm of rainfall on Tuesday. “The places that received the highest amount of rainfall in the district are Idamalayar (187 mm), Choondi (97.5 mm), Perumbavoor (87 mm) and Kalamassery (86 mm).
The heavy rain and strong winds damaged sixteen houses in different places in the district. “Due to heavy rain, the water level in the rivers has increased. Periyar and Muvattupuzha Rivers are flowing above the danger mark. Low-lying areas in Aluva, Kunnathunad, Paravoor and Kothamangalam have been inundated. The people shifted to the camps are from these places,” the collector said.
Tourist sites closed
Due to heavy rain, until further notice, tourism sites run by the district tourism promotion council and also private parties in the district have been closed. The collector has informed that if anyone is found violating the order, strict action would be taken against them. Places like the Mahagony plantation, Boothathankettu and Paniyeliporu have been closed.
Vigil on Chalakudy river banks
In a Twitter post, civil engineer James Wilson shared that as per the Central Water Commission, Chalakudy River is flowing above the danger mark. He tweeted that rather than the dam catchment areas, heavy rainfall is happening in the unregulated catchment areas in the Chalakudi River Basin and this is leading to a rise of water level at the Arangali gauge and discharge (Gand D) site. Chalakudy is steepest river in state where the situation can go upside down in a couple of hours.
Holiday today for educational institutions
A holiday has been declared for all educational institutions, including anganwadis, schools and professional colleges in Ernakulam district on Wednesday. There will be no change in examinations scheduled earlier.
Control room opened at Ekm dist police headquarters
Kochi: In the wake of incessant rain lashing the district, a monsoon control room has been opened at the Ernakulam district police headquarters. The control room will function round the clock. An emergency response team led by rural district police chief Vaibhav Saxena has been formed to address water ingress. In collaboration with local self-government bodies, the police have prepared a list of flood-prone areas and relocation centres based on last year’s data. Emergency equipment has been arranged for operations. For assistance, contact the control room: 9497 980500.
Instructions from the district police chief
Avoid taking selfies near water bodies
Do not enter water bodies when there are strong currents
Refrain from visiting riverside tourist spots during this period
Be careful when driving vehicles
Beware of monsoon thieves
Stringent action will be taken against those who spread false information related to rain calamities