KOTTAYAM: With rain continuing to pour across the district, the western areas of Kottayam have been almost completely submerged in floodwater, forcing tens of thousands of people to relocate to relief camps. As per official reports available, as many as 64,345 people are residing in 360 relief camps, opened across the district till Saturday evening. District Collector B S Thirumeni said things are under control and that there is no need to panic.
“We could shift a majority of affected people to relief camps. There is no shortage of rice and pulses in camps. The only difficulty is that we have a shortage of vegetables,” he said. The district administration also seized a petrol pump in Changanassery to ensure the supply of the required petroleum for government vehicles engaged in rescue activities.
The authorities concerned have been directed to open more camps as the water level is rising in the low-lying areas. Vaikom and Ettumanoor Assembly constituencies are the worst affected, where most of the municipalities and grama panchayats are facing inundation.
With the Muvattupuzha River having changed its course, Thalayolaparambu town near Vaikom witnessed heavy flow of water through its market and the road leading to Vaikom. Thousands of people were evacuated from Palamkadavu, Chungam, Manakkunnam and the Toll Junction in Maravanthuruthu grama panchayat after the water level started rising from late on Wednesday night after the shutters of Malankara Dam were lifted.
“We had to shift from our house on Wednesday night with available materials after water entered the house alarmingly. There is more than six feet of water on many roads in the area,” said Sheeja, a housewife hailing from Palamkadavu. Hundreds of people were reportedly stranded in a relief camp set up in Maravanthuruthu after the water level rose in the river. The Vadayar area is isolated and the road traffic between Thalayolaparambu and Vaikom has been disrupted.
Several areas in Chempu, Thalayazham, Udayanapuram and parts of Vaikom Municipality are inundated, while Mundar in Kallara panchayat of Vaikom constituency, where two mediapersons lost their lives while reporting recently, has been marooned. Things are not very different in the Ettumanoor Constituency, where a majority of places in Thiruvarpp, Aymanam, Arppookkara, Neendoor and Kumarakom panchayats became isolated.