Kumily witnesses 18 landslips on Saturday

The torrential rain on Friday and Saturday caused over 18 major and minor landslips in Kumily grama panchayat in Idukki, causing large-scale crop and property loss. Damage was reported in Pathumury, Attappallam, Kumily, Murukkady, Valiyakandam, and Vellaramkunnu in the panchayat in the heavy rain. Waterlogging occurred in hundreds of houses and shops in Kumily and Onnam Mile towns.

The series of landslips in the panchayat destroyed acres of cardamom plantations. Babychen Kanjiram said crops on nearly one acre of his cardamom plantation, out of the total 1.3 acre, got washed away in a major landslip in Attappallam on Saturday. As many as 11 major and minor landslips occurred in Attappallam alone.

Stany Pothen, chairperson of Cardamom Planters Federation, said Vellaramkunnu recorded 228.3 mm of rainfall in 48 hours. “The heavy rainfall on Friday and Saturday resulted in large-scale destruction of crops in cardamom plantations in the district. However, receiving compensation will take time, and even then, it would not cover our loss,” he said.

According to the data of the Agriculture department, Nedumkandam, Karunapuram, Vandanmedu, Chakkupallom, Kumily, Erattayar, Vandanmedu, Kanchiyar, Vathikkudy, Kattappana, and Edavetty areas witnessed crop loss worth ₹1.47 crore on of 81.44 hectares of land. “The cardamom sector suffered significant loss, losing crops worth ₹44.7 lakh on 57.82 hectares, “ said an official. The collection of details regarding crop loss in the recent rain is still going on.

Heavy waterlogging

Kumily town, a tourism hub and major stoppage for Sabarimala pilgrims, witnessed heavy waterlogging on Friday and Saturday night, resulting in damages worth lakhs to establishments on the Kottarakkara-Dindigul National Highway here.

The Kumily unit of Merchants Association blocked the national highway near the Kumily post office on Tuesday, demanding a solution to the town’s recurring waterlogging issue.

Sanoop Puthupparampil, president, Merchants Association Youth Wing, Kumily unit, said vendors suffered damages worth lakhs and added that authorities were failing to provide a solution for the rain-related issues in the town.

First casualty

Parappallil Thomas alias Thankachan, 66, was killed on Saturday after his two-wheeler got caught under falling debris on the Kumily-Anavilasom-Kattappana road near Vellaramkunnu, making it the first rain-related casualty in Idukki.

Meanwhile, a red alert was issued for the district on Wednesday, and the District Collector has declared a holiday for educational institutions. The Collector also banned water and adventure tourism activities in the district on Wednesday.

All 13 spillway shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam remained open on Tuesday and released 6,033 cusecs of water to the Periyar river. The water level in the dam on Tuesday morning was 138.5 ft.