At least six people died and a dozen were missing on Saturday as heavy rains pounded south and central Kerala causing flash floods and landslides in many parts, prompting the state government to seek the assistance of the defence forces for rescue operations. Several people have been injured and displaced in rain-related incidents in the southern state where dams in many districts are nearing their full capacity and small towns and villages in the hilly areas are totally cut off from the outside world.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan\ held a high-level meeting to assess the situation and activated the state’s disaster response mechanism. Vijayan said the situation in the state was serious, but the latest weather reports were a relief, adding that the fresh forecast did not show signs that the situation could become worse.
LIVE UPDATES | Kerala Floods LIVE Updates: 3 Dead in Kottayam Landslide; 12 Still Missing; Reopening of Colleges Pushed to Oct 20
The chief minister announced that colleges that were to reopen from October 18 should now only open from October 20. It was also decided that the Sabarimala pilgrimage will be avoided till October 19.
The Met department has issued a red alert for six districts – Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Palakkad and Thrissur. Vijayan held a high-level meeting on Saturday to intensify rescue efforts and said all means will be used to evacuate people stranded in flooded areas, including Kottayam. He gave directions regarding safety procedures and measures to be taken.
Vijayan said, “Action should be taken to immediately evacuate people from low-lying areas and places where there are possibilities of landslides or flooding.”
He said camps have to be started with Covid-19 safety protocols in place. Masks and sanitisers should be made available at these camps, along with drinking water and medicine, he added.
He also said people who have co-morbidities and those who are unvaccinated should practise caution.
Vijayan also gave directions regarding the list of boats to be made available for rescue operations, and that water levels in dams should be monitored closely as well as evacuation alerts should be issued as soon as possible.
South and central Kerala have been pounded by rains, especially affecting Kottayam and Idukki districts. Army and air force have deployed assets for rescue operations. According to the latest update by the Indian Meteorological Department, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta are among the most affected districts in the state as of now due to heavy rains since Friday night.
Visuals have emerged on social media from different parts of the Kottayam district, including a KSRTC bus stuck in floodwater and locals rescuing passengers from it. Destruction of roads was reported in many places, including in Kollam and Kottayam districts, while severe waterlogging made life miserable in the Kuttanad region, popularly known as the ‘rice bowl’ of the state spread in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts. The water level is rising steadily in many rivers including Meenachil and Manimala in the district.
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