The Indian Meteorological Department (MeT) on Wednesday issued an Orange alert in 11 out of 14 districts in Kerala as incessant rainfall continued across the state since Tuesday night bringing life to a standstill. Several roads have been flooded, houses have been uprooted by fallen trees, and rivers have overflowed. The heavy Kerala rains have also claimed one life in Pathanamthitta district where an autorickshaw overturned on a stream from the overflowing river and the victim could not escape from underneath the vehicle.
The MeT department issued a Red alert in Idukki and a Yellow alert in Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Lakshadweep.
According to the bulletin issued at 1pm on Wednesday, the Orange alert has been sounded in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts. For Thursday, the Orange alert has been sounded for Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. Yellow alert in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts.
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According to the IMD forecast at 10 AM, the intensity of the rains is likely to go down in the next few days.
The heavy rainfall has also wreaked havoc in the state causing a 30-meter section of a security wall of the central jail to collapse early this morning in the Kannur district. A 68-year-old man has gone missing in the in Thamarassery taluk of Kozhikode district on Tuesday after he was swept away in an overflowing river.
The district administration advised those living on the shores of the Periyar and Muthirapuzha rivers to be cautious and be ready to relocate to relief camps in case of the water entering their homes. All shutters of the Kavanakkallu Regulator-cum-Bridge (RCB) across the river Chaliyar in Malappuram district were also opened. Shutters of Karikkayam and Ullunkal dams across rivers Kakkad and Maniyar dam on the Kakkattar river in Pathanamthitta district were also opened this morning to release several hundred cumecs of water.
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Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a high-level meeting was held comprising revenue officials, including district collectors, to review the situation. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has advised people to be careful and avoid getting close to rivers, travel to hilly areas, and trips to the beach.
