Kerala Floods: Pathanamthitta Gets Respite, Upper Kuttanad Still Under Water

After a day of intense anxiety, Pathanamthitta district in Kerala saw floodwaters begin to recede on Sunday, bringing some relief to thousands of people affected by the deluge. However, the low-lying Upper Kuttanad region continued to face rising water levels, forcing more evacuations and severely disrupting daily life.

Water levels in the Pamba, Achankovil, and Manimala rivers started to drop, and residents in the upper reaches began returning to their homes. In Ranni, one of the worst-affected areas, the situation improved considerably, allowing shop owners to start clearing water-damaged goods. Traders in the area estimate losses running into several crores of rupees.

In Aranmula, floodwaters also began to recede, but authorities urged people in vulnerable areas to remain cautious. The storage in major reservoirs remained at comfortable levels, with the Pamba reservoir at 35.47% and the Kakki dam at 44.11% of live storage capacity.

As water drained from the upper regions, the runoff flowed into Upper Kuttanad, submerging houses and triggering a large-scale evacuation drive. Water levels continued to rise through the day in parts of the region, and more people were moved to relief camps.

Floodwater from the Pamba and Manimala rivers spilled onto the Thiruvalla–Ambalappuzha State Highway around 1 a.m., inundating roads, homes, shops, and places of worship. The Nedumpram stretch, a known flood-prone area, witnessed major traffic disruption. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) suspended services through the waterlogged stretch. Buses from Alappuzha, Edathua, and Haripad depots operated only up to Chakkulathukavu Junction, while services from Thiruvalla were curtailed at Vaikkathillam Bridge.

Traffic on the highway came to a standstill after nearly 1.5 km of road, from Padarattilpadi to NC Junction at Nedumpram, was submerged.

As of Sunday evening, the district had 95 relief camps sheltering 3,568 people. Thiruvalla taluk, which includes parts of Upper Kuttanad, accounted for the highest number of camps at 47. A detailed assessment is underway to ascertain the extent of damage to houses and property. Preliminary estimates indicate one house was completely damaged, while 42 houses suffered partial damage.

In view of the continuing rain and flooding, District Collector A. Nizamudeen declared a holiday for all educational institutions in Pathanamthitta, from anganwadis to professional colleges, as well as tuition centres, on Monday. The holiday will not apply to scheduled public and university examinations.

The Travancore Devaswom Board issued an advisory urging Sabarimala pilgrims to exercise extreme caution given the prevailing weather conditions.