Heavy rains lash Kerala, affect normal life; orange alert in Thiruvananthapuram

Heavy rains continued to pummel several parts of Kerala on Tuesday affecting normal life and raising water level of several rivers in the state to the dangerous mark.

As the rains continued in the state, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert in the southernmost district of the state and yellow alert in Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts.

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

In Thiruvananthapuram district, the heavy rains in the last few days partially damaged 23 houses and destroyed crops worth Rs 43.57 lakh.

One person went missing in the Vamanapuram river near Vithura Ponnamchund bridge on October 1 and the search is still on for him, the district administration said.

Meanwhile, the Central Water Commission (CWC) issued an orange alert for Aruvippuram station on Neyyar river in Thiruvananthapuram as the water level there was above the danger mark.

It also issued yellow alerts for Vellaikatav station on Karamana river (Thiruvananthapuram), Thumbaman station on Achankovil river (Pathanamthitta) and Kallupara station on Manimala river (Pathanamthitta).

Therefore, those who live near these rivers should be careful, the CWC said.

The intense weather pattern is expected to continue in the coming days with the IMD predicting rain and thunderstorms to occur at many places in the state between October 3-5.

Thunderstorms with lightning accompanied by gusty winds with speeds reaching 30-40 kmph, are very likely to occur at one or two places in Kerala from October 3 to 5, the IMD said.

The heavy rains in the state in the last few days caused flooding in various areas of the state and led to the closure of educational institutions there on Tuesday.

A holiday was declared by the district administration for educational institutions in Kottayam, Vaikom and Changanassery taluks where 17 relief camps are providing shelter to around 246 people due to flooding in those areas.

In Alappuzha, a holiday was declared for educational institutions in Cherthala and Chengannur taluks which were running relief camps, the district administration said.

The state has been receiving widespread rains for the last three-four days and numerous incidents of trees being uprooted, waterlogging and compound walls collapsing were reported in many places.

However, no major casualties have been reported anywhere in the state so far.

The heavy downpour had earlier submerged hundreds of acres of paddy fields at Edathua, a tiny hamlet in the Kuttanad region in Alappuzha district.

The Disaster Management Authority has urged people living in high ranges to maintain extra vigil in view of the incessant rains.