Thiruvananthapuram: Three persons were killed, one remains missing and thousands were displaced on Saturday as torrential rain unleashed landslides and flash floods across Kerala’s central and high range districts, prompting an all out rescue operation and emergency intervention by the State government.
The victims were identified as Sumathi of Mashikkallel, who died in a landslide at Adoor Mala in Kudayathoor, Idukki; Prabhakaran Nair (72) of Vaikom, who was killed after a landslide struck a house at Kolahalamedu near Vagamon; and Josephine Jony (24), who died when her house collapsed at Payyanithottam in Poonjar Thekkekara.
Search operations were continuing for Josephine’s mother, Regina, who is feared trapped beneath the debris.
Two persons were rescued alive from the landslide hit area at Adoor Mala.
The worst flood situation unfolded in Pathanamthitta, where officials said conditions bore an eerie resemblance to the devastating floods of 2018.
More than 330 mm of rainfall was recorded in parts of the district, causing the Pamba River to swell dramatically within hours and inundate vast stretches of Ranni and Konni.
Ranni town was virtually cut off after the Ranni–Vadasserikkara Road and the Arayanjilimannu causeway went under water.
Shops, business establishments and houses were flooded, causing losses running into crores of rupees.
With electricity snapped across the area, residents sought refuge on the upper floors of their homes before being evacuated in boats by Fire and Rescue Services personnel.
Additional rescue boats were rushed from Kollam as evacuation continued in marooned panchayats.
Minor landslides were reported from a few areas in Idukki district and several interior routes, severely disrupting connectivity across the high ranges.
Relief camps were opened at multiple locations to accommodate evacuated families.
With the rain emergency escalating, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan personally reviewed the situation, holding telephonic discussions with Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar, the Chief Secretary and district collectors of the affected regions.
He directed that disaster management operations be centrally coordinated by the Revenue Minister, who convened an emergency meeting of district collectors.
The Chief Minister said the NDRF, police, Fire and Rescue Services and other agencies had been placed on full alert and that additional NDRF teams were being deployed wherever required.
He directed officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured, expedite rehabilitation measures and strengthen relief operations.
Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar said the sudden flooding in Pathanamthitta was triggered by exceptionally heavy rainfall of over 330 mm, describing the situation as one that had developed with extraordinary speed.
He said additional rescue boats were being moved from Kollam to Pathanamthitta, while two State Ministers were overseeing relief operations in Idukki.
The minister also warned that floodwaters from Pathanamthitta were expected to flow downstream into Alappuzha, where authorities have already sounded a precautionary alert.
The Revenue Minister noted that weather experts had described the scale and intensity of the rainfall as being beyond normal prediction.
While expressing relief that the rain had begun to weaken, offering hope of an improvement in the situation, he said the government would assess the losses suffered by traders in Ranni and extend appropriate assistance.
He further pointed to a larger environmental concern, observing that the carrying capacity of many of Kerala’s rivers had been drastically reduced by heavy deposition of sand and sediments.
The government, he said, would examine long term measures to restore river channels and improve flood mitigation.
The India Meteorological Department has issued Red Alerts for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod, warning of further extremely heavy rainfall, even as the State Disaster Management Authority urged people living along riverbanks and in landslide-prone areas to move to safer locations and avoid unnecessary travel.
(IANS)
