Rains intensify after brief lull; Red alert sounded in two Kerala districts

Thiruvananthapuram: After a brief lull, rains intensified in Kerala on Thursday leading to red alert being sounded in two districts of the state where heavy rains in the past few days have disrupted normal life.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert in Kannur and Kasaragod districts and orange alert in seven other districts of the state for the day.

As the rains continued in Kerala, normal life was affected with schools declaring a holiday in many districts and hundreds being displaced from their homes, which were damaged by uprooted trees or flooded by rising river water, forcing them to take shelter in the relief camps.

A few families were shifted to relief camps following landslides in Kappimala village in Taliparamba taluk of Kannur district.

Coastal areas also suffered as a result of the bad weather with a stormy sea flowing into homes at various places along the Kerala coast, especially in Ernakulam.

The shutters of some dams like Malankara Dam in Idukki district were opened to release water downstream, following heavy rains in their catchment area.

Water was also released from Kallarkutti and Lower Periyar reservoirs in Idukki, Kuttiyadi dam in Kozhikode, Maniyar barrage in Pathanamthitta, Pazhassi barrage in Kannur and Bhoothathankettu Dam in Ernakulam districts of the state.

However, in many other dams and reservoirs of the state, the situation was normal and no water was being released from them.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) issued flood warnings for various rivers, like Meenachil, Manimala, Achankovil and Pampa, as water was rising above the danger levels.

The CWC cautioned those living on the shores of these rivers to be vigilant as the rains are expected to continue and therefore, the water levels might rise even further.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) also issued warnings cautioning people against tourism and trekking in hilly areas or entering water bodies and rivers.

Incessant heavy rainfall across Kerala over the past few days has affected normal life as roads are flooded, water levels rose in rivers and dams, homes have been damaged by uprooted trees and a furious sea displaced many in the coastal areas.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a Facebook post, had said on Wednesday that a total of 47 camps are functioning in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Malappuram and Kasaragod districts and 879 persons have been shifted there.

The Chief Minister also said that as the heavy rains continue, there are possibilities of flash floods, landslides and waterlogging in low-lying areas, and therefore, the public and government agencies should be vigilant and cautious.

A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rains of 6 cm to 20 cm of rain.