Flood woes continue in central Travancore despite lull in rains

Mohanan, a resident of Pulikuttyssery in Kottayam, moving to a relief camp along with his wife on a make-shift boat on Saturday. | Photo Credit: VISHNU PRATHAP

Although rains subsided for much of the day, low-lying areas in central Travancore remained severely affected by flood-related damages.

Major rivers in the region including the Meenachil, Pampa, Achankovil, and the Manimala rivers were flowing in full spate, breaching banks at multiple points and inundating houses and farmlands.

In Alappuzha, the district administration has opened 39 relief camps in the Kuttanad and Ambalappuzha taluks, accommodating around 3,700 people from 1,053 families. Five panchayats in Kuttanad and Upper Kuttanad continue to grapple with serious waterlogging. The Ambalappuzha–Thiruvalla State Highway is submerged, halting bus services. Roads in Thakazhi and Kelamangalam have also been flooded, causing further transportation disruptions.

Widespread flooding

Over the past three days, the region’s rivers have risen by nearly five feet, triggering widespread flooding in riverside and low-lying areas. Several houses in Muttar, Thalavady, Edathua, Viyapuram, and Thakazhi panchayats have been submerged. Public transport services on key routes such as Ambalappuzha–Thiruvalla and Haripad–Edathua have been suspended.

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is estimated to have suffered losses amounting to ₹5 crore in Alappuzha district alone due to flood-related damages.

In Kottayam, authorities have opened 58 relief camps, sheltering 1,527 individuals from 489 families. Of these, 42 camps are located in Kottayam Taluk. Cooperation Minister V. N. Vasavan visited the camps on Saturday and assured all necessary support to the affected families.

In Pathanamthitta, 35 relief camps are currently operational, including 23 in the Upper Kuttanad region under Thiruvalla Taluk. Kozhencherry has six camps, Mallappally has four, while Konni and Adoor taluks have one camp each.

Meanwhile, the State Irrigation department has issued an orange alert for the Manimala and Achankovil rivers in view of the continuing high water levels.

Published - May 31, 2025 07:36 pm IST