Heavy rains in Kerala: Floods, landslides sweep away vehicles; tourism activities halted

Flash floods and landslides caused by continuous rain have wreaked havoc across Idukki district in Kerala, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue an orange alert on Sunday.

As the Periyar River continues to overflow, seven houses were flooded in the Chandravanam and Vikas Nagar areas of Vandiperiyar. Revenue officials visited the affected sites and began relocating residents to safer locations. Authorities have warned that more homes could be inundated as water continues to be released from the Mullaperiyar dam.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has urged those living along the riverbanks to exercise extreme caution as the situation remains volatile. 

In view of the severe weather, the district administration has imposed a temporary ban on all tourism and adventure-based activities, including kayaking, boating, and jeep trekking, until further notice. 

Heavy rains lashed Idukki from Friday night to Saturday morning, leading to severe waterlogging in multiple areas. Vehicles parked near bridges in Nedumkandam were swept away, including scooters, cars, and a traveller van. Television visuals showed a parked van being washed away in the rising waters of the Kootar River.

Mundiyeruma and Koottar were among the worst-affected areas, with flooding isolating several families.

 Mundiyeruma and Koottar were among the worst affected, with flooding isolating families and damaging crops. Locals said they had not witnessed such intense rainfall in years.

A landslide occurred at Kunthalampara in Kattappana around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. Following a loud roar, a torrent of mud and mountain water washed away roads and farmlands. The incident occurred in the same area that had been hit by a deadly landslide in 2019. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported.

Reports of smaller landslides also came from Nedumkandam and Kuttar. In Koottar, multiple vehicles were swept away in the strong mountain flood as the rain continued unabated.

With water levels rising rapidly, authorities opened the shutters of the Kallar and Mullaperiyar dams to release excess water and prevent further flooding in low-lying areas. Officials said the Mullaperiyar dam’s water level has already crossed the rule curve limit.

On Saturday night, one person was killed after his two-wheeler lost control and rammed into a mud pile at Vellaramkunnu on the Kumili–Aanavilasam road. The deceased, identified as Thankachan, was a resident of Parappally House in Kumily.

Authorities have warned that continued heavy rainfall could trigger more landslides in hilly regions and urged residents to remain vigilant as the monsoon system strengthens.