Rain havoc worsens; Ruling party MLAs request help from government 

PATHANAMTHITTA: As the rain-related devastation intensified, ruling party MLAs from Pathanamthitta have appealed to the Kerala government for assistance. After Ranni MLA Pazhakulam Madhu, Aranmula MLA Abin Varkey has also come forward, urging the government to provide more help to Aranmula.

Abin Varkey said that all the water receding from Ranni is flowing to Aranmula. As the water level recedes in Ranni, it rises in Aranmula, leading to severe flooding across several panchayats in the constituency. He demanded the revenue department to intervene effectively and demanded move government assistance for the affected areas.

Ranni MLA Pazhakulam Madhu had earlier urged the district administration to assess the losses suffered by traders and ensure proportionate compensation. Heavy rain on Saturday caused the Pamba River to overflow, inundating Ranni town and leaving traders in distress. Ranni received 339 mm of rainfall within 24 hours, creating flood conditions similar to those witnessed during the devastating Kerala floods in 2018.

Although the water level receded by Sunday morning, traders said they had already suffered huge losses. With the Onam shopping season underway, most shops were stocked with large quantities of goods. They said the flooding occurred so suddenly following the torrential rain that they had no time to move their stocks to safer locations.