High alert as heavy rainfall continues in Kerala
TR IVAN DRUM: The india meteorological department (IMD) has issued heavy rain and thunderstorm alerts for Kerala’s Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts.
The southern state has been witnessing heavy rainfall and floods in the past few days leaving a trail of destruction and displacing many families.
These districts carry an orange alert indicating very heavy rains of 6 to 20 cm while others have a yellow alert for less intense weather conditions with rains of 6 to 11 cm.
Heavy rains hit Trivandrum, Kollam and Kottayam districts hard, killing at least three people and causing widespread damage to properties.
During the past four days of incessant rains, 12 houses have collapsed and 229 others become inhabitable due to heavy damages.
The kerala state disaster management authority (SDMA) said 151 relief camps that accommodate 4,348 people from 1,315 displaced families.
In a statement, it said 3,071 buildings have been readied to open more relief camps with a capacity to house 423,080 people in case of an emergency.
Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, who represents Kerala’s Wayanad in the Parliament, asked party workers to help the affected people.
“Our brothers and sisters in Kerala are braving heavy rains,” the Wayanad MP said on Twiter.
“I appeal to Congress workers to help in every way possible. Please take care and follow all safety guidelines.” In a statement issued at 2 pm local time, the SDMA said Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kotayam, Idukki and Thrissur were affected the most during the past 24 hours.
Three lives, including that of two toddlers in Kannur and Thrissur, were lost. A driver was killed in a rain-triggered mudslide incident in Ernakulam district.
“The cyclonic circulation over east-central and adjoining southeast the Arabian Sea off Karnataka, north Kerala coasts extending up to mid-tropospheric level persists,” it said.
Most of the universities have postponed their exams while collectors of seven south-central districts declared a holiday for all educational institutions.
The IMD also warned the fishermen not to venture into the sea as the strong wind with speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to prevail over the Kerala coast.
In neighbouring Tamil Nadu state, its chief minister MK Stalin visited the rain-affected areas in the southernmost district of Kanyakumari district adjoining the Kerala capital.
He took stock of the situation from authorities and interacted with local communities in the flooded Thovalai village famous for its jasmine flower production.