IDUKKI: Lasar M of Parayil, who has lived all his life at Kurishumoodu in Vallakkadavu, was feeling worried even before the disaster management team arrived at his home on Thursday.
“The water level had touched the roof of my house three years ago. I had never seen it rise that high,” said the 73-year-old who stays with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren in a rickety two-room house near the Periyar.
Lasar was among the 3,220 people who were asked to move to safer places on Thursday, because the Mullaperiyar dam on the upside area of their village was nearing its capacity and it was decided to release water through the spillway from 7am on Friday. The situation resulted in considerable anxiety in and around Vallakkadavu, which falls in Manjumala village of Peermade taluk, one of the areas identified as flood-prone by the district administration.
Ramesh Madhavan, deputy tahsildar, Peermade taluk, who is deployed as officer in charge of relief activities in Manjumala, said that residents were asked to leave their homes because of concerns over the fast rising water level in the Periyar. “We evacuated some of the people from low-lying areas. Most people chose to move in with family or friends who live on higher ground,” he said.
Though as many as 335 families have been identified for evacuation in Manjumala, only 90 persons belonging to 29 families turned up at two of the total eight camps set up in the area till 6 pm on Thursday. In Attoram area of Manjumala, which was devastated during the 2018 flood, the residents have shifted their belongings to new houses and some of them moved to their under- construction houses.
“Back in 2018, water was released from the dam without issuing proper notice to local residents. Besides, there was heavy rain which led to a flood-like situation in downstream areas. However, this time around, the authorities acted on time and the climate also is not rough. Hence, we are not too concerned this time,” said local resident Arul Mani, 49.
Azhutha block panchayat president P M Noushad told TNIE that the magnitude of the situation — and the area’s nightmarish experience in 2018 — made residents tense. “However, district administration along with local bodies have made all necessary arrangements to ensure the safety of people. We are closely monitoring the situation,” he said.
Based on the data from IMD, possibility of heavy rain has been predicted in Idukki till October 31. The average rainfall recorded in Idukki on Thursday morning was 23.76mm with Idukki taluk recording the highest rain of 76.6mm, followed by Thodupuzha which reported 21.6mm.
Meanwhile, the water level in Mullaperiyar dam stood at 138.20 ft at 6pm on Thursday, with an inflow of 5,800 cusecs. Tamil Nadu is presently drawing 2,300 cusecs of water from the dam via penstocks and Erachilpalam.