Businesses face setback as flood waters submerge towns in Kottayam, Pathanamthitta
The flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains in parts of Kerala have affected hundreds of shops and businesses, particularly in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts. In the early hours of August 1, flood waters entered many towns in both districts, bringing everyday life to a standstill. Ranni town in Pathanamthitta was largely cut off from surrounding regions because of the flooding. Local residents told TNM that the water came without warning, making it impossible for them to move valuables and other objects from shops and other establishments within town limits. They said that most shops had stocked up to meet the Onam rush. These too are among the goods damaged by the mud and water that flowed in.Water entered more than 500 shops in the Ittiyapara bus stand area in Ranni, according to Abdul Salim, who runs Chinku Silks. “Onam is just 20 days away. The shopping for the festival starts weeks ahead, so everyone had already bought stocks for that. Most of that is gone,” he said.Abdul said that while an exact amount can’t be fixed to the losses suffered yet, he estimates it to be over Rs 50,000. “With recurring floods in the region, I am reconsidering whether I should continue with this business here,” he added.Another trader in Ranni whose shop was spared from the flood told TNM that textile and gadget shops were the worst hit, as their stocks have been completely damaged.One widely circulating video from Cherukovil in the district showed an auto garage that is submerged. Speaking to TNM, Binoy, the owner of the Paruvanickal Tours and Travels and Auto Garage, said that two buses in running condition and three that were under maintenance were fully submerged by the floodwaters.“All the tools I had in the workshop, the motors of some machines, and computers in the office have been destroyed. I have incurred losses to the tune of Rs 6 lakh,” he said, adding that the full extent of the loss can be determined only after the water recedes completely.According to Binoy, the water that entered the town early morning on Saturday, August 1 had begun to recede by Sunday night. However, with relentless rains in the Sabarimala region, the Pampa river began to flow in spate again in the early hours of Monday, causing floodwaters to reenter the buildings in Ranni and surrounding areas.This is the second time Binoy’s property has been affected by floods, the first time being in 2020. Both Binoy and Abdul said that the lack of dredging in the Pampa river had reduced its capacity, causing it to overflow after one heavy rain. View this post on Instagram Shop owners in Kottayam’s Pala told TNM that they had moved their stocks and equipment in the early hours of August 1, as soon as they received news of flooding and landslides upstream in Erattupetta.Amal Jacob, who runs Asado Resto Cafe in Pala’s Kottaramattom, said that the shop suffered losses between Rs 40,000 and Rs 50,000. “Frozen meat, cheese, and other raw materials we had stocked were completely damaged,” he said.He added that they were able to save some of the equipment, including the refrigerator and freezer, before the water entered the buildings. “Around 1.15 am on August 1, friends in Erattupetta told us that there had been a landslide there. We knew that that meant flooding in Pala town. So we quickly put equipment atop tables. The next day, we saw that water levels were continuing to rise, so we moved everything to a room on the first floor,” he said. The owner of another shop that sells stationery items said that they too were able to move things to the first floor and prevent major losses. However, they had to undertake strenuous cleaning on August 2, as the flood waters had brought large amounts of silt and mud. Making matters worse, the water that had receded on August 2 started rising again on August 3 morning.
THE flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains in parts of Kerala have affected hundreds of shops and businesses, particularly in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts. In the early hours of August 1, flood waters entered many towns in both districts, bringing everyday life to a standstill.
Ranni town in Pathanamthitta was largely cut off from the surrounding regions due to flooding. Residents told TNM that the water came without warning, making it impossible for them to move valuables and other objects from shops and other establishments within town limits. They said that most shops had stocked up to meet the Onam rush. These too are among the goods damaged by the mud and water that flowed in.
Water entered more than 500 shops in the Ittiyapara bus stand area in Ranni, according to Abdul Salim, who runs Chinku Silks. “Onam is just 20 days away. Shopping for the festival starts weeks ahead, so everyone has already bought their stock. Most of that is gone,” he said.
Abdul said that while an exact amount can’t be fixed to the losses suffered yet, he estimates it to be over Rs 50,000. “With recurring floods in the region, I am reconsidering whether I should continue with this business here,” he added.
Another trader in Ranni, whose shop was spared from the flood, told TNM that textile and gadget shops were the worst hit, as their stocks had been damaged.
One widely circulating video from Cherukovil in the district showed an auto garage that is submerged. Speaking to TNM, Binoy, the owner of the Paruvanickal Tours and Travels and Auto Garage, said that two buses in running condition and three that were under maintenance were fully submerged by the floodwaters.
“All the tools I had in the workshop, the motors of some machines, and computers in the office have been destroyed. I have incurred losses to the tune of Rs 6 lakh,” he said, adding that the full extent of the loss can be determined only after the water recedes completely.
According to Binoy, the water that entered the town early morning on Saturday, August 1, had begun to recede by Sunday night. However, with relentless rains in the Sabarimala region, the Pampa River began to flow in spate again in the early hours of Monday, causing floodwaters to reenter the buildings in Ranni and surrounding areas.
This is the second time Binoy’s property has been affected by floods, the first time being in 2020. Both Binoy and Abdul said that the lack of dredging in the Pampa River had reduced its capacity, causing it to overflow after one heavy rain.
Shop owners in Kottayam’s Pala told TNM that they had moved their stocks and equipment in the early hours of August 1, as soon as they received news of flooding and landslides upstream in Erattupetta.
Amal Jacob, who runs Asado Resto Cafe in Pala’s Kottaramattom, said that the shop suffered losses between Rs 40,000 and Rs 50,000. “Frozen meat, cheese, and other raw materials we had stocked were completely damaged,” he said.
He added that they were able to save some of the equipment, including the refrigerator and freezer, before the water entered the buildings. “Around 1.15 am on August 1, friends in Erattupetta told us that there had been a landslide there. We knew that meant flooding in Pala town. So we quickly put equipment atop tables. The next day, we saw that water levels were continuing to rise, so we moved everything to a room on the first floor,” he said.
The owner of another shop that sells stationery items said that they, too, were able to move things to the first floor and prevent major losses. However, they had to undertake strenuous cleaning on August 2, as the flood waters had brought large amounts of silt and mud. Making matters worse, the water that had receded on August 2 started rising again on the morning of August 3.
