Kozhikode: Buildings vanished, roads washed away and many places submerged, Malabar districts caught unawares when sky loosened water cannons on earth.
The disaster in the Ghat region of Kozhikode, Kannur and Malappuram districts was consequential to heavy rains in the hilly Wayanad district.
Though everyone expected it, as usual, floods in planes and shifting people to relief camps, the harshness with which nature struck this time was a shocker to all.
The second bout started Tuesday night, which lasted for almost 24 hours. On August 9, heavy rains lashed Vythiri taluk in Wayanad which received 334.3 mm rain, highest in the near past.
On the same day, Mananthavady taluk also received 305 mm rain. Its repercussions were felt in the high-ranges of Thamarassery taluk in Kozhikode, adjacent to Vythiri taluk in Wayanad, and terrains of Iritty taluk in Kannur district adjacent to Mananthavady.
The same thing happened in Malappuram too as all the tributaries of River Chaliyar originated from Wayanad carried water many folds higher than their limit.
Apart from the rainwater received in these respective areas, all the rivers originating from Wayanad flow down to the sea through these districts, which aggravated the situation all along the Ghat region except in Kasargod district.
It was happening when Wayanad received 57 per cent excess rains.
As per Regional Agriculture Research Station, Ambalavayal, the district received 1809.2 mm in excess this year starting from January to July 26.
The soil soaked to the maximum and the reservoirs were brimming.
Along with the rainwater, the release of impounded water from Banasura Sagar made the situation worse.
Rivers and rivulets that take water from the dam downstream were much narrowed as it happens only during the monsoon, that too seldom full.
Normally the River Kabani receives whatever amount of water that flows down and supplies to the Beechanahalli dam downstream in Karnataka.
But this year Kabani also was full, and Beechanahalli to its brim by the end of July.
