Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy rains continued to lash many parts of Kerala on Tuesday, leading to people being evacuated from certain parts of T...
Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy rains continued to lash many parts of Kerala on Tuesday, leading to people being evacuated from certain parts of Thrissur and Kozhikode to relief and rehabilitation camps and loss of two lives in Malappuram as the water level rose in rivers and dams.
The weather department and the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has issued orange and yellow alerts for various districts -- like Kozhikode, Palakkad, Malappuram and Wayanad -- of Kerala in the coming days up to October 15.
Orange and yellow alerts indicate very high and high intensity of rainfall, respectively.
Earlier in the day, during the wee hours before dawn, two children lost their lives in Malappuram due to the rains after a nearby under construction house collapsed onto their residence, police said.
Though the children -- a baby girl of six months and her eight-year-old sister -- were rushed to the Kozhikode medical college-cum-hospital, their lives could not be saved.
Following the warnings and rising water levels in various dams and rivers of the state, district administrations -- like that of Thrissur, Kozhikode and Malappuram, have swung into action and began evacuating or shifting families, who were affected or those could be affected by the heavy rainfall, to relief camps.
In Thrissur, state Minister for Land Revenue K Rajan, taking note of the heavy rainfall there which was leading to rise in water level of Chalakudy river and flooding of houses near Koodappuzha, directed taking of immediate precautionary measures.
He also convened an online meeting of all the District Collectors and directed them to be prepared to combat the present weather conditions and its consequences, like floods and landslides.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said that in view of various weather conditions -- like the tropical storm Kompasu in the west Pacific Ocean -- around the Indian subcontinent people are being requested to be alert and vigilant for the next two days.
Presently, there was no need to be alarmed, he added.
He also said that the Collectors were asked to take precautionary measures based on the state''s previous experiences due to heavy rainfall in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
An emergency meeting was held at the Chalakudy taluk office under the leadership of the District Collector, who also visited some of the flooded sites and advised people living in low lying areas not to be averse to moving from there.
He later told reporters that the situation was under control and that entry to tourist attractions in the district was prohibited presently.
Other district administrations, like that of Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod, said they have geared up to face any calamities which could result due to the downpour and have cautioned fishermen and those living in low-lying areas to be alert.
The incessant rains also flooded or waterlogged many roads and low lying areas in the state, according to district level authorities.
The weather department has predicted 64.5 mm to 204.4 mm of rainfall in the next 24 hours in various parts of the southern state.
The SDMA, in its release, has said that those living in areas at risk of natural disasters during the rains should have an emergency kit ready immediately.
"Instructions for preparing the kit are available at https:dma.kerala.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Emergency-Kit.pdf," it said.
It has also cautioned people against taking selfies or standing in groups on the overpasses above water bodies.
The weather department had on Monday issued a heavy rainfall alert for Tuesday for several parts of the state.
-News Feed
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