New Delhi: The hilly district of Idukki in Kerala witnessed intense rainfall on Friday, leading to severe flooding, mudslides, and minor landslips across several regions. The downpour particularly affected the Peerumade and Udumbanchola taluks, where waterlogging and landslips disrupted normal life.
Areas including Kumily, Nedumkandam, Cumbummettu, Balagram, Thookupalam, and Balanpilla City reported extensive flooding, with numerous homes and shops submerged under rising waters. Five residents were rescued from waterlogged houses in Kumily, while 42 families were moved to safer locations as a precautionary measure.
In response to surging water levels, authorities opened four shutters at the Kallarkutty dam, releasing 160 cusecs of water, and three radial shutters at the Mullaperiyar dam, discharging 1,063 cusecs into the Periyar river. Officials are closely monitoring the situation as the Idukki reservoir level has climbed to 2,381.82 ft, nearing its upper rule level of 2,398.96 ft.
Disaster management teams and local authorities remain on high alert, with continuous rainfall predicted to persist over the weekend, raising concerns of further landslips and flooding in the high-range regions of the state.