Pathanamthitta (Keralam) [India], August 1 : Extremely heavy rainfall in the hilly regions of Keralam's Pathanamthitta triggered sudden flash floods, causing the Pamba River to overflow and submerging several parts of Ranni town under waist-deep water.
A local shopkeeper said that the water level in town is likely to rise by another one-and-a-half-feet before it starts to lower again.
"The water level near our house has come down now. However, the water level in the town is likely to rise by another one-and-a-half feet before it starts receding again. We never expected this. It was around 1:30 am when we realised the situation," he told ANI.
Reflecting on past destruction and current mitigation efforts, the shopkeeper recalled losing Rs 1.5 crore in the 2018 floods. He noted that this time the damage is not huge; however, goods are being shifted to a safer location with the help of staff members.
"During the 2018 floods, I suffered losses of around Rs 1.5 crore. This time, we have not suffered any major damage so far. Since it happened unexpectedly, we have only just started shifting our goods. Only a few staff members have arrived, and with their help, we are moving the items to safety. There have been no major losses until now. If the water level doesn't rise further, we should be able to get through without much damage," he said.
A textile shop owner, Shanaya Abooti, describing the grim situation from near the Ranni bridge, said that the water level is too high to even reach the shops. He underlined that the people have been evacuated from their homes; however, their belongings have not been moved.
"The flooding in Ranni happened very suddenly. Not a single trader is here at the moment because most of them come from distant places and are unable to reach the town. Even those who are here cannot enter their shops to move their goods. The entire area is submerged. It is impossible to tell where the road ends and the river begins. The water level is too high to even reach the shops. We are now standing near the bridge because there is no way to go further. People have been evacuated from their homes, but none of the household belongings has been moved," he said.
In Keralam, the red warning is in effect for the Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.
The IMD has also issued an orange warning for thunderstorms and lightning with gusty winds of 40-60 kmph and moderate rain of 5-15 mm per hour in several districts of Keralam, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Assam.
In Keralam, the orange warning covers Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kozhikode, Lakshadweep, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Wayanad.