Nilambur: Incessant rains continued to wreak havoc in several parts of Malappuram district, cutting off many low lying areas and leaving thousands of people marooned.
On Thursday, Nilambur recorded the highest volume of rainfall (40 cm) in the state, which comes under the ‘exceptionally heavy rainfall’ classification of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Normal life was hit by the heavy rain and flooding caused by mud flow triggered by landslides in the hilly areas bordering Tamil Nadu. Rainwater from the gushing wild streams and rivulets entered the Chaliyar, triggering flood in the river.
Many areas, which were believed to be relatively safe from flooding, were swallowed by flash floods in just a matter of minutes. Almost all the major roads were flooded, leaving Nilambur town and several villages in the area cut off from main land.
Mananthavady in Wayanad, where several houses were damaged in rain-related incidents, received 31 cm of rain on Thursday, while the rainfall amounted to 25 cm in Munnar and Peerumedu in Idukki. Palakkad and Mailadumpara in Idukki recorded 21 cm of rain.
If an area receives rainfall ranging between 12-20 cm in 24 hours, it would fall under the ‘very heavy rainfall’ category while the volume between 7 to 14 cm comes under the ‘heavy rainfall’ classifications.
The 40 cm rainfall recorded in Nilambur is more than double of the value under the ‘very heavy rainfall’ convective class.
According to the district disaster management authority, the hilly areas stretching along the state border in Nadukani up to Nilambur and the north-western provinces of the Eranad taluk are highly vulnerable to landslides. There were incidents of multiple landslips and subsequent flash floods in Nilambur, Karuvarakundu, Wandoor, and Kalikavu in the last couple of days.
Following the incessant rain, water levels of Chaliyar River and its tributaries continued to rise, leaving the entire Kondotty-Edavannappara-Vazhakkadu region waterlogged.
