Flash floods in the Punnappuzha river that flows through Chooralmala, which witnessed a massive landslide in 2024, triggered panic in Wayanad district on Wednesday. However, the authorities ruled out any landslide in the region and maintained that there was no danger at present since the Mundakkai region was totally uninhabited now. Meanwhile, the district has been put under orange alert on Thursday.
Though the district was put under yellow alert on Wednesday, that forecast moderate to intermediate rain, the region has been experiencing heavy rainfall since Tuesday. The water in the Punnapuzha was turbulent and muddy. The Attamala road was waterlogged. The river was overflowing cutting off traffic through the Bailey Bridge set up by the Army after the 2024 landslides. Workers in the Ranimala and Harrisons Tea Estates on the other side of the bridge were stranded for some time, but were brought to safety after the water level in the river subsided later in the day.
The State Disaster Management Authority has ruled out any reports of landslides in the forest near Punchirimattam. It said debris, including loose soil and tree branches, from the previous landslides were flowing downstream and advised the public to stay away from the ‘No Go Zone’.
Meanwhile, the local people organised a protest near the Bailey Bridge demanding the State government keep its word. They claimed that they were in dire financial situation due to lack of work due to rain as most of them were estate labourers. The government had offered to pay them a monthly allowance of ₹9,000 after the landslides. However, the payment had been stopped. They also claimed that they received no warning of the flash floods and that the authorities failed to ensure safety in the region.
Published – June 25, 2025 07:55 pm IST
