Heavy rains hit Kerala; orange, yellow alert in 11 districts

Heavy rains, which claimed the lives of at least eight persons, have swept through Kerala for the third consecutive day after the southwest monsoon intensified. It has been triggered by a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal. There is a fear of landslides due to the heavy rain.

An orange alert has been sounded in Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. A yellow alert was issued in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad. There are no alerts for Kollam and Thiruvanathapuram.

An orange alert means very heavy rain from 6 cm to 20 cm; a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 and 11 cm.

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

In Pathanamthitta district, the main Pamba river has overflowed completely submerging the low-lying areas close to the river. Several mudslides have been reported in Kannur and in fierce winds have uprooted several trees and destroyed crops in Thrissur district.

Water level has risen in the eastern part of Kottayam district and 35 relief camps have been opened where 700 people from 218 families are taking shelter. Homes in several parts of the district such as Kumarakom, Thiruvarp and Aymenam panchayats have been flooded. Water from the overflowing Meenachil river has entered the low-lying areas of Kottayam and Ettumanoor municipalities.

Several parts of the low-lying areas in the Alappuzha district stare at inundation as the monsoon strengthens. Water flooded around 100 houses in the seventh ward of the Champakulam Panchayat. Several relief camps have been opened in the district. Many families were shifted to relief camps in boats after water entered the Kuthirichal region near the banks of the Pamba River.

In Alappuzha, the heavy rains also damaged crops leaving thousands of farmers in distress. According to reports, the district suffered a loss of Rs 8 cr in the agriculture sector.

“Light or moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to heavy very likely to continue over the region during next few days,” said the India Meteorological Department. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said seven teams of the NDRF have been deployed in Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Alappuzha and Thrissur districts for emergency.

Amidst the heavy rainfall, residents of Ernakulam’s coastal town Kannamaly began to protest the state authority's lapses in taking the required steps to prevent the sea surge, which inundated more than 300 homes in the area. The geobags, which are used as shore-protection structures, have been battered by the sea. The residents of the area have been demanding installation of tetrapods on the seashore to prevent the surge.

Sea incursion intensified in Kollam and Kasaragod districts. Constructions in Kollam beach were destroyed due to coastal erosion and the protection wall completely collapsed.