Half of Kerala flooded; toll 29

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 10 

Dam reservoirs and rivers overflowed, sections of highways collapsed and homes were swept away in severe flooding in more than half of Kerala, after days of incessant rains left nearly 54,000 people homeless and killed at least 29, officials said on Friday.

Five columns of Army were deployed in the state’s seven severely-hit northern districts, out of Kerala’s 14, to help evacuate people and to build makeshift bridges even as the Navy’s southern command was put on alert after the water level in Periyar river rose amid concern that parts of Wellingdon Island in Kochi could be inundated. Almost all 40-odd rivers in the state are in spate, officials said. Northern and central Kerala have been battered by heavy rains since August 8, which has left 29 persons dead, including three on Friday. Of them, 25 died in landslides and four in drowning. State officials said 53,501 people are now housed in 439 relief camps across the state.

Tourists were barred from entering the hilly Idukki district after roads caved in at many places. Army soldiers were building small bridges to evacuate people stranded at various places in Kozhikode and Wayanad.

A red alert was issued for Idukki and its adjoining districts in view of the possibility of release of more water from the Idukki reservoir.

At least 50 tourists, including 24 foreigners, stranded at the Plum Judy resort at Munnar since Wednesday were rescued and taken to safer places, state Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said.

The water level had crossed the maximum storage capacity of reservoirs of 24 out of the state’s 58 dams, forcing officials to release the water by opening the sluice gates, including three of the Idukki reservoir. Two more shutters of the Cheruthoni dam, part of the Idukki reservoir, the biggest arch dam in Asia, were lifted around 7 am on Friday. One shutter was opened yesterday after 26 years.

This morning, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reviewed the flood situation and relief works being undertaken by the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the NDRF.

Due to the increase in the water level at Idukki dam, “it is essential to release water three times (more) than what was being released now”, Vijayan said, adding that this will lead to rise in the water levels of Periyar river and its tributaries. He appealed to people to be vigilant. — PTI

Navy rescues 55 

• Fifty-five persons have so far been evacuated by Navy under “Operation Madad”, launched by the Southern Naval Command 
• Two teams with Gemini boats commenced rescue at Kalpetta, Wayanad and Panmarum (13 km south of Mananthavady), where they evacuated 55 stranded people, a release said

More rain likely 

• IMD has predicted ‘fairly widespread to widespread rain’ from Aug 15-17 in the western Himalayan region, Indo-Gangetic plains, Kerala, Karnataka, TN ghats 
• The ongoing rainfall over Kerala is expected to subside in intensity, but a further increase is likely from August 13 to 15 due to a fresh surge in monsoon

Grim scenario

• 54,000 hit and rendered homeless in one of worst floods in Kerala history
• 439 camps have been set up across the state to house affected people
• 40 rivers flowing above the danger mark