ALAPPUZHA: Though the heavy rain has subsided, residents in the Upper Kuttanad region fear of another flood with the opening of dam shutters. People living in low-lying areas frantically shifted their house equipment and other important things to safe locations after the government issued an alert following the raising of two shutters of the Kakki dam of the Sabarigiri project by more than 15cm on Monday.
According to District Collector A Alexander, the district administration has made all arrangements to evacuate people in case of an emergency. “The situation was normal till Monday evening. However, the water released from the Kakki dam is expected to reach by Tuesday early morning. It may raise the water level in the region by a few feet, causing waterlogging in several areas. So we have directed all village officers to monitor the situation throughout the night and take appropriate steps,” he said.
The KSRTC bus services through the Alappuzha-Changanassery Road and Ambalappuzha-Tiruvalla road were partially suspended following waterlogging. A high-level meeting led by ministers Saji Cherian, K Rajan and P Prasad was held at the collectorate to evaluate the situation. The district administration has opened 41 relief camps — mainly in Kuttanad, Chengannur and Mavelikkara taluks.