Worst Floods in Last Two Decades Ravage Kuttanad

ALAPPUZHA:
The worst floods to hit in the last two decades have ravaged the Kuttanad region. The floodwater has submerged the entire region and forced large number of families to leave their homes.
The water level in the region has increased to dangerous levels owing to heavy downpour in recent days and flow of water from neighbouring areas. Officials said that the Revenue Department had opened 375 gruel centres in Kuttanad taluk for 86, 839 people of 22,120 families. Officials added that hundreds of families had been displaced and were staying with relatives or living at temporary shelters.
The floodwaters breached bunds across the region and flooded houses and destroyed paddy cultivation. Around 80 houses were destroyed in the region. The floodwater has submerged large tracts of paddy fields. As per the statistics available with the Agriculture Department, flood has ravaged paddy cultivation in 7,316 ha.