Thiruvananthapuram : At least 24 people have died due to Kerala floods. Floods and landslide have triggered heavy rains since Saturday. While the rain subsided by Sunday afternoon, authorities kept up a strict vigil with the threat of landslides.
The India Meteorological Department has shown yellow alert and possibility of severely bad weather in 11 districts on Monday. Weather experts claim cloudburst could be one of the reasons for heavy and unseasonal rain at several places in Kottayam and Idukki districts.
So far 22 deaths have been reported in this natural calamity. 13 bodies from Kottayam district and nine bodies from Idukki are found. According to a release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), two people from the Idukki district are still missing and the rescue operations will continue on Monday.
The low-pressure area formed in the Arabian Sea near Lakshadweep has weakened but the IMD said in its forecast that heavy rains will continue till Monday evening.
Amit Shah assures Centre’s support to Kerala
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday assured about the situation being monitored and said that all the possible help will be extended to the Kerala.
Taking to Twitter, Amit Shah wrote, “We are continuously monitoring the situation in parts of Kerala in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. The central govt will provide all possible support to help people in need. NDRF teams have already been sent to assist the rescue operations. Praying for everyone’s safety.”
In one of the heavy rains in recent years, the high ranges of central and south Kerala are experiencing almost similar to that of the situation the state faced during the time of devastating floods of 2018 and 2019 but authorities said everything was under control and there was no need for any panic.
Heavy rain in parts of Kerala has triggered landslides in Idukki and Kottayam districts. The weather office has predicted heavy to very heavy rain till Sunday morning.
Concerning the same, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also spoke about extending every possible help to the people and further requested the citizens to take all precautions. He further added that around 105 relief camps have been set up across the state and arrangements are underway to start more camps.
Furthermore, the Central Water Commission has informed about a rise in water levels in several dams including the Madamon, Kalluppara, Thumpaman, Pullakayar, Manikkal, Vellaikadavu, and Aruvipuram.
“The situation is really serious in some parts of the state. We will do everything possible to save lives. We have sought help from the army, navy and air force. Relief camps have been set up in the districts,” Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a statement.
The Central forces teams including 11 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), two Army and two Defence Service Corps teams have been deployed in Southern and Central parts of the states. The India Meteorological Department had issued a red alert for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur districts and an orange alert for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alapuzha, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts of the southern state.
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