Heavy rain lashes State, triggers landslips

Collectors put on alert as govt gears up for disaster mitigation; holiday in several districts

Long queue of vehicles after a landslide on the Thamarassery ghat section of road on the Kozhikode-Kollagal National highway -766.

A revived southwest monsoon unleashed widespread rain across Kerala on Tuesday, flooding low-lying areas and leaving the highlands vulnerable to landslips, debris flow, and flash floods.

The administration was put on alert after the State Disaster Management Authority issued a warning about the possibility of heavy rainfall (7 to 11 cm) and very heavy rainfall (12 to 20 cm) at one or two places till Thursday morning.

The Met Centre has alerted fishermen to the likelihood of strong southwesterly winds, speed occasionally reaching 45-55 kmph, along and off the Kerala coast and Lakshadweep area till Wednesday afternoon.

A landslip on the Thamarassery ghat road held up traffic along the Kozhikode-Wayanad route for over three hours on Tuesday morning. Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar was among those stranded.

Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan said District Collectors had been asked to remain on high alert till Thursday and initiate steps for disaster mitigation. An official press note quoting him said Collectors would be required to submit daily reports to the government.

Holiday for schools

The administration has declared a holiday for educational institutions in Idukki, Alappuzha, Kollam and Ernakulam districts on Wednesday.

Efforts were on to activate taluk-level control rooms and relief camps would be opened wherever required. Control rooms have been established at the Secretariat and collectorates. Complaints about relief work or officials in charge can be e-mailed to the Minister at revenuecomplaints@ gmail.com.

The district administration in Idukki has been alerted to the possibility of landslips and flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall. “Five days of rainfall have soaked the hilly slopes in the district, leaving them vulnerable to destabilisation,” an official said. Minor landslips have been reported from Munnar, Kumily and Adimali, resulting in traffic block on the routes.

Warning to public

The government has directed the district administration to warn the public against travelling at night, particularly along hilly areas. Citizens have been advised to refrain from entering rivulets and streams due to the likelihood of flash floods and beach tourists would be prevented from wading into the water as the sea is likely to remain rough. Meanwhile, Perinthalmanna and Alathur registered the maximum rainfall of 12 cm on Tuesday. Piravom, Peerumade, Thodupuzha, Munnar and Kanjirappally received 11 cm each while Mancompu, Chengannur, Kurudamannil and Kunnamkulam recorded 10 cm each.