Flood threat looms over Kuttanad

http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/15/stories/2010061562500500.htm
My monsoon story in The Hindu on June 15:

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Water level in the backwater stretches of the rice bowl of Kuttanad was inching towards danger mark on Monday as the rivers Pampa, Achenkoil, Manimala and Meenachal began emptying their flood flow into the region.

Villages in this low-lying region are already waterlogged and the Alappuzha district authorities have declared two days’ holiday for schools in the area. Rough sea conditions along the Kochi coast prevent the flood waters from draining smoothly out of the Vembanad Lake, which stretch from Kochi up north to Kuttanad towards the south.

At the southern end of Kuttanad, the Irrigation Department has opened the Thottappally spillway and cut open the narrow stretch of sand bar separating the sea and the backwaters to facilitate the drainage of floodwaters from the region. The sea was rough along the Thottappally stretch also. There are no reports about the collapse of any of the bunds that protect the sprawling paddy fields of the region. Farmers who have launched Kuttanad’s second crop are on a day-night vigil on the bunds.

Reports from upstream areas in Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts, from where the rivers emptying into Kuttanad originate, spoke of a decrease in the intensity of rainfall on Monday. The shutters of a couple of smaller reservoirs in Idukki district that were opened on Sunday following heavy rains were once again closed on Monday.

In the northern districts, where several centres came under very heavy rainfall on Sunday, there was a relative respite in the downpour on Monday, allowing the flood waters time to drain out of low-lying areas.

During the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Monday, very heavy rainfall was recorded in Thaliparamba and Vadakara (15 cm each), Vythiri (12 cm), Thrithala (10 cm) and Kannur, Perinthalmanna, Pattambi and Peerumede (10 cm each).
India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its outlook for the next two days, has warned about the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated places in the State.

Four persons lost their lives in rain-related mishaps in the State during the 24 hours ending at 12.30 on Moinday, according to the calamity monitoring cell of the State government. Two of these deaths were in Pathanamthitta district and one death each was in Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts.

The government released Rs.19.10 crore to the rain-affected districts for relief operations, Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran said on Monday. The district collectors have been directed to release an assistance of Rs.1 lakh to the relatives of each of those who had died in monsoon-related incidents.

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