Kerala Rains: CM Pinarayi Vijayan urges people to be cautious

The low pressure area over Lakshadweep and adjoining south-east Arabian Sea off Kerala has started weakening but the state, which has been hit with incessant rainfall since Friday, will continue to witness rainfall accompanied by lightning and thunder till Sunday evening, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

The Central Meteorological Department has warned of thundershowers and strong winds across Kerala till this evening.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today said 105 relief camps have been set up across the state and the arrangements have been made to start more camps as soon as possible amid heavy rainfall and landslides in the state.

The chief minister urged people in the state to remain cautious and prepare themselves to move to a relief camp, higher ground or safer localities if requested by government officials. He also advised against inessential travel

In a statement issued by the chief minister's office Vijayan said: "People should take precautions to avoid accidents. Follow the instructions of the authorities and shift if necessary. Avoid unnecessary trips".

A red alert prevails for dams Kaki in Pathanamthitta district, Sholayar in Thrissur district, Peringalkuthu, Kundala, Kallarkutty, Mattupetty and Kallar in Idukki district, according to a press release issued by the chief minister's office.

A red alert has also been issued for the dams of the Irrigation department in Chulliyarbin Palakkad and Peechi in the Thrissur districts, as per the press statement.

An orange alert has been declared in Vazhani, Chimmini in Thrissur district and Minkara, Mangalam and Malampuzha in Palakkad district.

A Blue alert has been issued for Ponmudi dam, Idukki Dam in Idukki district and Pampa in Pathanamthitta, stated the chief minister.

A Blue alert has also been issued in Pothundi in Palakkad district and Neyyar dams in Thiruvananthapuram district.

According to the latest warning issued by the Central Meteorological Department, fishing has been banned in Kerala, Karnataka and Lakshadweep coasts till date.

Central Meteorological Department has also warned of thundershowers and strong winds across Kerala till today.

One team of the National Disaster Response Force has been deployed in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram districts. In addition, five more teams have been directed to be deployed in Idukki, Kottayam, Kollam, Kannur and Palakkad districts.

One of the two teams of the Indian Army is deployed in Thiruvananthapuram and one in Kottayam. The Defense Security Corps (DSC) has deployed one team in Kozhikode and one in Wayanad.

The Air Force and Navy were instructed to be ready for emergencies. The Volunteer Force and Civil Defense are ready to deal with emergencies. The Engineer Task Force (ETF) team started from Bangalore to Mundakayam in Kottayam.

Two choppers of the Air Force reached Thiruvananthapuram from Sulur near Coimbatore.

In the Pathanamthitta district, it has been reported that people are trapped near Mallappally.

The Air Force helicopter was deployed following a recommendation from the District Disaster Management Authority that an airlift may be needed, although firefighters are trying to carry out rescue operations.

Navy helicopter deployed to distribute food parcels to Kokkayar landslide affected areas.CM added

The State Emergency Management Center has been made more active.

Representatives from KSEB, Irrigation Department and Motor Vehicle Department were deployed 24 hours a day at the Emergency Management Center to assess the condition of the dams.

The State Emergency Management Center also communicates with the police, fire force and land revenue control rooms. All concerned department heads have been directed to be prepared to deal with any kind of emergency.

The chief minister further added that according to the Central Water Commission, the water level in Madamon, Kalluppara, Thumpaman, Pullakayar, Manikkal, Vellayikadavu and Aruvipuram dams in Pathanamthitta Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram districts is rising.

According to the Central Meteorological Department, a yellow alert has been issued in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts today.

(ANI)

Also Read: Kerala Rains: 6 more bodies recovered; Death toll mounts to 15