PATHANAMTHITTA: The upper Kuttanad villages of Kadapra, Peringara, Nedumpram, Kavumbhagom and Niranom have been inundated with the floodwater that began to recede from the upper reaches of Pampa and Manimala rivers on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall continued for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had to open one shutter of the Moozhiyar dam of the Kakkad hydro-electric project on Monday morning owing to heavy inflow from the catchment areas.

The KSEB sources at Moozhiyar told The Hindu that the power generation at the Kakkad power house had been stepped up from Sunday evening, reducing the power generation at the Moozhiyar power house, so as to maintain the water level in the Moozhiyar reservoir below its maximum storage level of 192.65 metres and to minimise the release of dam water.

The floodwaters entered a large number of houses in the upper Kuttanad villages. A total of 452 persons had been evacuated to various relief camps in the region by Tuesday afternoon.

District Collector A.J. Rajan told The Hindu that eight relief camps were opened in the district on Tuesday at Nedumpram, Kadapra, Vadikulam, Mallappuzhassery, Thottappuzhasserry, Kopiram, Eraviperoor and Ezhikad.

At the largest settlement colony in the State at Ezhikad, near Aranmula, as many as 50 houses have been inundated.

Revenue Department sources said 14 houses were partially damaged and crop estimated at Rs.9.5 lakhs destroyed in the flood and rain in the district in the past two days. Nearly 100 families had been evacuated to the safety of various relief camps in the past 48 hours, they added.

Official figures show that crop estimated at Rs.3.14 crores had been destroyed in the rain, floods and heavy winds that have lashed the district since June 1.

A total of 1,356 houses have been damaged, 51 completely, causing loss estimated at Rs.90,21,726, in the natural calamities in the district in the past three months.

The district has registered a record rainfall of 1721.3 mm from June 1. On Tuesday, 90 mm rainfall was received.

Official sources said a total of 68 villages in the district had been affected by natural calamities in the past three months.

A total of 2,842 people were evacuated to various relief camps in the district in the months of June, July and August and the death toll in the rain and floods during the period was three. Five heads of cattle were lost, official sources said.

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