The landslip that occurred at Kavali, near Koottickal, on Friday night.
| Photo Credit: VISHNU PRATHAP
With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting heavy showers for the region, the district administrations in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta have urged people to remain vigilant, particularly those in the hilly and flood-prone areas.
In Kottayam, an orange alert has been issued for Sunday following intense rainfall on Friday night, which triggered mild landslips and flash floods in Poonjar Thekkekara, Koottikkal, and Mundakayam grama panchayats. Though there are no casualties, water levels in the Manimala and Chittar rivers surged, causing flooding of houses along the banks in Mundakayam and Kanjirappally.
Traffic disruptions were noted with a minor landslip at Anumgumpadi blocking the KoottikkalโKavaliโCholathadamโPoonjar road overnight. The road was cleared by Saturday morning. In Chotty, near Mundakayam, another landslip led to flooding of 15 houses and caused traffic blockages along the KanjirappallyโManimala road. The Pazhayidom causeway was submerged by the flood waters, leading to further road closures.
Kottayam District Collector John V. Samuel urged people to stay alert and has instructed tahsildars to prepare relief camps. He also mandated that officials remain in their headquarters over the next two days to coordinate emergency responses.
The Central Water Commission, meanwhile, issued a yellow alert for the Manimala river, prompting precautionary actions such as relocating residents to safer areas and stationing fire brigade personnel in Poonjar Thekkekara and Koottickal.
The Collector has also imposed a temporary ban on entry to tourist spots such as Ilaveezhapoonchira, Illikkal Kallu, and the Marmala stream until August 21. Night travel along the Erattupetta-Wagamon road and hilly regions has been prohibited until Wednesday.
In Pathanamthitta, authorities have issued an orange alert on Saturday, followed by yellow alerts over the next couple of days . The ongoing rain has led to the opening of major dams to release excess water, causing major waterbodies in the region to rise to alarming levels.
Water levels at the Kalluppara station of the Central Water Commission and the Manimala station of the State Irrigation Department have surpassed danger levels. A yellow alert has also been issued for Kalleli and Konni stations, prompting authorities to warn those near the Achencoil river to be cautious of potential flooding.
In view of the rising water levels, all gates of the Maniyar barrage have been opened. The Moozhiyar dam has reached a red alert level at 192.63 metres, while water level in the Pampa and Kakki- Anathodu dams too keep rising .
