Kottayam district experienced a tragic loss recently when continuous torrential rain from Friday evening resulted in landslips, flash floods, and overflowing rivers, claiming the lives of three individuals, including an 11-year-old boy, by Saturday.
The first two fatalities occurred at Payyanithottam in Poonjar Thekkekara. A landslip buried a house in the early hours of Saturday, taking the lives of 27-year-old Josephin Johny and his 49-year-old mother, Rejeena Johny. This calamity struck when a significant section of the hillside collapsed due to the heavy rainfall, causing a mass of earth to crash onto their home.
Josephin’s father, M.J. Johny, survived the disaster as he was visiting a nearby house at the time. Fortunately, the couple’s two daughters, Jomit and Somit, were also at a different location, escaping the tragedy. Josephin was recovering at home from a leg injury sustained in a motorcycle accident about a month ago, while Rejeena worked at a private school, and Johny was employed as a school bus driver.
Local residents reported that the landslip originated from the Idamala hillside, which had no known history of significant landslips. Emergency personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services, police, and the Revenue department initiated immediate rescue operations; unfortunately, the mother and son could not be saved. Their bodies were later retrieved from under the debris.
The third victim, 11-year-old Milan K. Shinu from Thottakkad in Vakathanam panchayat, tragically fell into a waterlogged pit created for Jal Jeevan Mission works around 10:40 a.m. Despite being rescued and taken to the hospital, he could not be revived.
The intense rainfall also wreaked havoc on livestock. In Theekoy, floodwaters from the hills inundated Anil Kumar’s dairy farm, resulting in the deaths of 11 cattle that were tethered inside a cowshed.
Many landslips were reported throughout the eastern high ranges, compounded by the Meenachil river overflowing its banks, flooding low-lying areas. Local businesses in Erattupetta town faced significant damage, with traders commenting that the situation was worse than during the devastating floods of 2018. Shop owners estimated losses amounting to lakhs of rupees.
As the rain subsided on Saturday morning, the water levels began to drop in the eastern high-range areas by evening. However, authorities warned that the runoff could lead to increased water levels downstream. By afternoon, floodwaters had spread into parts of Pala town as the Meenachil river continued its robust flow after breaching its banks.
In addition, the Manimala river was in a heightened state as well, while its major tributary, the Pullakayar, experienced heavy inflow due to minor landslips in the Koottickal and Kokkayar areas of the Wagamon valley. Although floodwaters submerged the Mundakayam causeway in the morning, they later receded, leaving portions of Manimala town still inundated and causing severe losses to local businesses.
In response to the crisis, 26 relief camps have been established across the district, including six in Kanjirappally taluk, offering shelter to 567 individuals affected by the heavy rains. A total of 28 villages in Kottayam district have been impacted by this adverse weather situation.
