In Thrissur, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, water had seeped inside several homes, forcing the residents to move to relief camps. Many roads in these districts and other parts of the state were also inundated due to the heavy rainfall
Commuters move through a waterlogged road after heavy rainfall, in Kochi, on Thursday. PIC/PTI
Houses in the low-lying areas of Kerala were inundated following heavy rains across the state, even as the accompanying strong winds uprooted trees, damaged homes and caused power disruptions, disrupting normal life.
In Thrissur, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, water had seeped inside several homes, forcing the residents to move to relief camps, reported PTI.
Many roads in these districts and other parts of the state were also inundated due to the heavy rainfall.
In Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts, rain and strong winds uprooted trees and damaged electricity poles and transformers, destroying hundreds of homes and disrupting the power supply for hours, authorities said.
The district administration has declared a holiday for educational institutions in Kottayam district on Saturday.
In Kollam, uprooted trees and falling branches damaged several homes and private vehicles. A few people have suffered injuries in these incidents, reported PTI.
An 85-year-old woman, who worked as an MGNREGA worker in Ernakulam district, died after an uprooted tree fell on her when she was returning home on Thursday evening.
The district authorities in Ernakulam also reported a rise in the water level of the Muvattupuzha River above the flood warning markers, prompting the administration to open three shutters of the Malankara Dam by 20 centimetres (cm).
The heavy rainfall also impacted the train services. The Mangaluru-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express was among the trains that were diverted after trees fell on the tracks. Many other trains were rescheduled or delayed amid the rough weather, authorities said.
Amid the heavy rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Kannur and Kasaragod districts and an orange alert in the remaining six districts of the state for the day, reported PTI.
A red alert by IMD indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm, and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.
State Revenue Minister K Rajan has appealed to the citizens to remain cautious.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Thrissur, Rajan further said that the westerly winds are expected to continue over Kerala for the next five days due to the possibility of widespread rainfall and thus caution should be exercised by everyone.
He advised the public to avoid unnecessary trips, especially to hilly areas and said that those living in dangerous places should move to safer locations or relief camps.
The minister also informed that there are 66 camps housing 1,894 citizens across the state currently.
Around 4,000 camps are ready to be opened to accommodate about six lakh people, he added.
Rajan also said that hundreds of homes in the state have been partially or completely destroyed due to the heavy rains and strong winds since the arrival of the monsoons.
He informed that the weather bureau predicts a possibility of heavy rains in all the districts of the state till June 5.
The rainfall is likely to subside in the second week of June, the minister said.
Meanwhile, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) said that there is a possibility of high waves ranging from 3 to 3.9 meters along the Kerala coast till 5.30 pm on Saturday and urged fishermen and coastal residents to be cautious and avoid launching of small boats, yachts or fishing vessels during this time.
The state government has sanctioned Rs one crore each to all district collectors from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for carrying out monsoon preparedness activities.
Additionally, Rs two crore each has been sanctioned to the Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode District Disaster Management Authorities for undertaking flood mitigation works in the cities, the government said.
Apart from these funds, the government has also sanctioned Rs one lakh to each panchayat, Rs 3 lakh to every municipality and Rs 5 lakh to each corporation in the state to buy necessary equipment and open storage centres as part of monsoon preparedness activities.
(With PTI inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
