After being on edge for the last few days, the flood threat appeared to be easing in the Upper Kuttanad and Kuttanad regions on Saturday.
Though water levels remained above the danger level at Pallathuruthy, Nedumudi, Mankombu, Champakulam, Kavalam, Neerettupuram, Pallipad and Veeyapuram, floodwaters had started receding, albeit slowly, from some of the places. Several houses, shops and roads, including parts of the Alappuzha-Changanassery (AC) road, remain inundated.
Meanwhile, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) resumed bus services through the Ambalappuzha-Thiruvalla State highway following a gradual decrease in waterlogging at Nedumbram.
District Collector V.R. Krishna Teja said the situation was under control. "We have formulated a detailed plan to deal with any exigency. For carrying out rescue operations on short notice, the district has been divided into three zones based on Pampa, Manimala and Achencoil rivers. Water levels in rivers are being monitored regularly. Measures have been strengthened in Chengannur in view of the rising water level in the Pampa river," said Mr. Teja.
Kuttanad witnessed two bund breaches on Saturday. A breach in the outer bund of Chembadi Changankary paddy polder under Champakulam Krishi Bhavan submerged standing crops on 350 acres. Another breach in the outer bund of the Vellorkonam paddy polder in Thakazhi grama panchayat submerged 50-day-old rice plants on around 100 acres. The breach also left around 100 families living in the vicinity of the polder isolated.
Officials, meanwhile, said the district remained on high alert in view of the possibility of opening the sluice gates of the Kakki-Anathode reservoir of the Sabarigiri hydroelectric project in Pathanamthitta. The water level in the reservoir recorded a steady rise and reached 974.75 m on Saturday morning, prompting the Kerala State Electricity Board’s (KSEB) dam safety division to issue an orange alert.
While the maximum water level of the reservoir is 981.46 m, the upper rule level stipulates the water level to be 975.75 m between July 31 and August 10. The red alert for the dam will be issued when the water level reaches 975.25 m. The people living along the banks of the Pampa and Kakkattar rivers in Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts have been urged to exercise caution.
A 21-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team that reached the district to assist in rescue and relief operations met the District Collector in the morning. The team later visited flood-prone areas in Chengannur.
As of Saturday evening, 1,771 people belonging to 516 families took shelter in 44 relief camps opened in Chengannur, Kuttanad, Mavelikara and Karthikappally taluks. The administration also opened 67 gruel centres in Kuttanad and Karthikappally.
In Pathanamthitta, as many as 2,747 people of 843 families are staying in 77 relief camps. A 65-year-old man went missing after he accidentally fell into a waterbody at Kidangannoor.
