THE GREAT DELUGES OF 1341 AND 1924 AND SIGNIFICANCE OF FLOOD PLANNING

Due to great deluge in River Periyar the ancient port town of Muziris in Malabar Coast, which is depicted in every known map of antiquity, disappeared suddenly and without a trace. It was presumably because of a cataclysmic event in 1341, in the River Periyar that altered the geography of the region. A new land mass accreted suddenly on the western coast from Kodungallur to Alleppy. The flood water breached the land mass, between the present Fortcochin and Vypeen, and opened up the present Cochin Estuary or ‘Kochazy’ and harbour and helped in the formation of Vembanad Backwater. The Islands located on the northern side of Cochin estuary is popularly known as the Vypeen Islands changed access to the River Periyar. It was only the most spectacular of the geological changes and land formation that have been going on in that area from time immemorial. A geophysical survey of the region has shown that 200–300 years ago the shoreline lay about three kilometers east of the present coast and that some 2,000 years earlier it lay even further east, about 6.5 km inland and in those days Trippunithura, Kaduthuruthy, Athirampuzha, Kottayam, Changanassery and Edathwa were tiny port towns on that stretch of coastline. If Muziris had been situated somewhere here in Roman times, the coast at that time would have run some 4-5 km east of its present line. The regular silting up of the river mouth finally forced it to cease activity as a port.

During the early days low lying areas at Kumbalam were ‘Uppalam,’ lands used for manufacturing salt from brine. After the monsoon, the salt water was allowed to fill in the low lying areas situated on the eastern part of Kumbalam. The bunds would be closed after filling with brine. The water would evaporate in the scorching sun. In a few days time we would get pure salt. As per the colonial Settlement Registers, a few items of our ancestral wetland properties, comprised in old Sy. No. 71/5, Padanna-nilam, and old Sy. No. 91/7, Uppukattathara, of Kumbalam village in Kanayannur taluk. Uppukattathara meant that the drained land was used to store “the manufactured dry salt.” Those properties are situated near the house of Ousepachan Ameparampil and Ouseph Kalassery. It was one of the sources of our ancestral income. During the unprecedented deluge in 1341, a new delta namely Kumbalangi, which meant a curtain or shutter to Kumbalam, was formed and its position is further west of Aroor and Edakochi. There are some other islands beyond Kumbalanghi Island namely Kannamaly, Chellanam, Kandakadvu and Kannamaly belt blocked the brine that used to come directly from the Arabian Sea through the water-pass between the Aroor-Edacochi sand-bund, which was popping in and out in backwaters. That event put an end to our ancestral salt manufacturing business.

After the deluge of 1341, lots of sand was deposited in wet lands at Panangad and Cheppanam Islands in Kumbalam Village. Gradually, a few of the Illoms/Manas at Kumbalam and some of their close Nair Madambis too shifted their residence to such large drained lands at Panangad.   Puthuva Illom/Mana suffered great losses due to the floods at Alangad area and they shifted their residence from Alangad near Aluva and settled at Kumbalam south area.

The Great flood of July 1924, or the popularly known flood of 99, which occurred in 1099 ME in the Malayalam Calendar, when Rivers Periyar, Meenachil,  Pampa, Muvattupuzha and others originating from Sahyadri Mountains and hills flooded in Kerala state, South India. The rain continued for about three weeks. Many districts of the present day Kerala were deeply submerged in water by this flood – From Trichur to Ernakulam; from Idukki to Kottayam and even up to Alappuzha including Kuttanad region. Even a huge mountain called Karinthiri Malai was washed away by this flood and the road to Munnar also vanished along with it. As the road to Munnar was lost by this flood, a new road from Ernakulam to Munnar became necessary. The present day road from Ernakulam to Munnar was constructed after this event.

The old generation of Kerala believes that the cause of this great flood was a major breach of the Mullaperiyar Dam. That is why the flood was so powerful, even at Munnar, and tore apart even a mountain as big as Karinthiri. The breach of Mullaperiyar occurred 29 years after the dam was constructed. At that time, there was no other dam in the region and there is no other possible reason that can be attributed for such a destructive flood.

The devastating flood claimed thousands of lives, animals and birds, and caused severe damages to buildings, roads and other structures, and heavy damages to crops in Kerala. Most of the areas in the erstwhile Travancore and Cochin states and parts of Malabar region were submerged under the flood water. In Munnar around 485 cm of rain fall was reported during the flood and wide spread destruction occurred. Kundala Valley Railway, one of the first narrow gauge railway lines constructed at Munnar was completely destroyed by the flood waters. This flood is still a fearful memory with the old generation still alive in Kerala and most of them were kids then. Also, as a historical touch of this flood, the church-records in most ancient churches were also damaged by this flood. So, in almost all ancient churches, the church records start only from 1924 AD.

Yet another significant episode was the conversion of Scheduled Castes (Pulayas) of Kumbalam Islands to Christian faith during the deluge of August 1924. The floods lasted for about two weeks. Kuttanad and Alleppy in erstwhile Travancore, and  deltan regions of Kochi lay submerged for days in the water that was gushing in, nature’s fury with a vengeance. When the Islands in Kumbalam Village were submerged, the Scheduled Caste families suffered the most; rain water flooded their dilapidated huts. Fr. Joseph Painumkal, a Syrian  Catholic priest, took the initiative and provided them with food, clothes and shelter in the church buildings. They were engaged for casual labour. Lured by this some of them were converted into Christian faith.

However, floods can also bring many benefits, such as recharging ground water, making soil more fertile and increasing nutrients in some soils. Flood waters kills pests in the farming land. Flooding can spread nutrients to lakes and rivers, which can lead to increased biomass and improved fisheries for a few years.

For some fish species, an inundated flood plain may form a highly suitable location for spawning with few predators and enhanced levels of nutrients or food.  Bird populations may also profit from the boost in food production caused by flooding.

In the changing scenario of enhanced population, culture and civilization it is significant for the state to focus their attention on flood safety planning. Now people are more dependent on electrical power and potable water supply. Floods also frequently damage power transmission and sometimes power generation, which then has knock-on effects caused by the loss of power. This includes loss of drinking water treatment and water supply, which may result in loss of drinking water or severe water contamination. It may also cause the loss of sewage disposal facilities. Lack of clean water combined with human sewage in the flood waters raises the risk of waterborne diseases, which can include typhoid, cholera and many other diseases depending upon the location of the flood. Damage to roads and transport infrastructure may make it difficult to mobilize aid to those affected or to provide emergency health treatment. Flood waters typically inundate farm land, making the land unworkable and preventing crops from being planted or harvested, which can lead to shortages of food both for humans and farm animals. Entire harvests for a country can be lost in extreme flood circumstances. Some tree species may not survive prolonged flooding of their root systems. Floods may cause food shortages leading to price increases as well.

 

Flood forecasting and flood warning too are important. Critical safety facilities, such as hospitals, emergency-operations centers, and police, fire, and rescue services, should be built in risk prone areas of flooding. 

Excerpts from

 MEMOIRS

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com