NEDUMBASSERY: A worried Siby anxiously paced the Angamali-Mala Road at Kuttipuzha trying to figure out a way to reach his parents stranded in their house at Kuthiathode on the northern part of Ernakulam district.
He just managed to move his wife and child to a safe place in the morning. However, while returning to shift his parents, the road was flooded and vehicle movement became impossible. Siby is a parishioner of St Francis Church in Kuthiathode where six persons were killed after the roof of a building near the church collapsed in last year’s flood.
“There was no water on the road in the morning. My parents were confident that there won’t be any flood this time. But in the afternoon, water started entering our house. Now, I cannot reach my house. My cousins have told me that my parents were moved to a safe place. Relief centres have been opened and people are moving from their houses,” he said.
The rising water level of Chalakkudy and Periyar Rivers have caused flooding in Parakadavu, Kurumassery, Manjaly, Poickattussery, Kuthiathode and Kunnukara.
From Friday morning, people in the area started moving to relief centres and houses of relatives in other parts of the district. By afternoon, the roads were flooded, affecting vehicle movement.
The area is surrounded by the Periyar and Chalakkudy Rivers, which converge at Manjaly.
“There are dams on both the Periyar and Chalakkudy Rivers. If the shutters are up, water from both rivers will engulf the entire area. The only relief is that water has not reached the dangerous level compared to last year. However, we are monitoring the situation,” said Mary Treesa, who is coordinating relief activities at a relief camp at Poickattussery.
For 60-year-old Marty of Poickattussery, the house which was renovated after the 2018 deluge is already inundated.
“My house was totally damaged in the previous flood. Only two months ago we managed to restore it. From Friday morning onwards, water started entering the house. I have shifted my wife to a relative’s house. We are ready to move to the relief camp at Poickattussery LP School. My son’s marriage is on August 15. But all preparations have gone for a toss,” he said.