KOCHI: Fresh spells of heavy rain through Sunday night pushed water levels in Ernakulam’s major rivers above warning levels on Monday. The district administration issued alerts for residents living along the Muvattupuzha, Thodupuzha and Kaliyar rivers.
The Muvattupuzha river touched 12.42m, well above its warning level of 11.93m. The Thodupuzha rose to 12.37m against the warning mark of 11.79m. The Kaliyar also swelled to 13.41m and was nearing its warning level of 14.10m.
The rise in river levels triggered concerns of flooding in the eastern parts of the district, particularly in Kothamangalam and nearby areas. The Manikandanchal causeway across the Pooyamkutty river continued to remain under water, cutting off road access to the interior tribal settlements and villages of Manikandanchal and Kallelimedu.
The district was placed under orange alert on Monday, with the warning remaining in place for Tuesday. Nine relief camps are functioning across the district, accommodating around 200 people. Five camps have been opened in Muvattupuzha taluk, while Kunnathunad and Kothamangalam have two camps each. Low-lying areas in Kunnathunad were inundated following overnight rain. Residents had to move to relief camps.
Although water levels receded gradually during the day after rainfall eased, they began rising again by evening as another spell of heavy rain lashed several parts of the district. Ramamangalam river also overflowed, flooding nearby low-lying areas. Around five houses were affected and water had not receded till Monday evening as rainfall continued.
Authorities also intensified precautionary measures at Malankara Dam after the reservoir reached the red alert level of 41.30m. The reservoir was receiving an inflow of 145.392 cubic metres per second (cumecs) of water and additional tailrace discharge from the Moolamattom Power House is expected. In view of the increasing inflow and the dangerous water levels in the Muvattupuzha and Thodupuzha rivers, steps have been strengthened to ensure the safety of the dam and downstream areas.
Holiday declared
All educational institutions in Ernakulam district, including professional colleges, will remain closed on Tuesday. The holiday will be applicable to schools, colleges, anganwadis and tuition centres.
