The second bout of monsoon rain has left Kerala reeling under the impact of large-scale damages that have been reported from various districts.
The southern districts faced the fury of the rain on Sunday and with heavy rain expected to continue till July 17, Collectors of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathnamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam and Thrissur have declared a holiday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges, on Monday.
University examinations will be held, with the exception of Kerala University (KU), which has postponed all examinations scheduled for Monday to July 21. Cochin University of Science and Technology will function on Monday. The coastal areas of Kollam and Alappuzha witnessed sea erosion while huge tidal waves swamped Thrissur coast. Turbulent water inundated low lying areas in Ernakulam and Kottayam.
In Kottayam, the damages occurred in the high and midland areas covered by mostly rubber plantations, while widespread damage to standing crops was reported from Changanassery, Kanjirapally and Vaikom taluks. The capital district also witnessed rain for major part of the day.
Rivers in spate
All major rivers are in spate and shutters of the Neyyar Dam in Thiruvananthapuram and Banasura Sagar Dam in Wayanad were opened. The Idukki revervoir reached 60 per cent of its total capacity, while Mullaperiyar peaked at 127.5 ft. The Bharathapuzha and the Meenachal rivers too flowed to the brim. The two major reservoirs in the Cauvery basin in Kerala are full as the catchment areas have been witnessing heavy inflow.
No casualties so far
No major casualties were reported on Sunday. The disaster management officials issued advisories on travelling in heavy rain, especially during night in the high ranges owing to the possibilities of landslip and along beaches owing to turbulence in the sea. In the meantime, Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran on Sunday asked PWD officials in Idukki district to complete all road repairs before August 15. He addressed a high-level meeting of district officials of his department. He advised the PWD engineers to ensure quality of work.
