THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The heavy rain that lashed various parts of the state since Sunday evening claimed six lives, besides causing widespread damage to property and agriculture. Two people went missing.
The deceased include a 48-year-old man and his two daughters aged 25 and 19, who died after their car fell into a canal near a bridge at Vennikulam in Tiruvalla, a 22-year-old youth who was swept away in the heavy current of a canal in Ranni and a fisherman in Thiruvananthapuram. A 60-year-old man from Pathanamthitta and a 45-year-old man from Kottayam are missing. Moreover, five houses were destroyed fully while 55 were destroyed partially.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who chaired a meeting of district collectors and senior officials of various departments on Monday, said a red alert has been sounded in seven districts and warned that the northern districts may also see heavy rain as per the forecast by the India Meteorological Department.
The state is on high alert after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued heavy rainfall alert across the districts. As many 10 districts have been flagged for red alert signifying very heavy rainfall and the rest four with orange alert. The widespread rainfall has resulted in loss of lives and the destruction of properties. As many as six people died in the rain calamities including a two-year-old in Peravoor in Kannur. The search is still on to find three persons who went missing in the waters. So far the rain has claimed the lives of 12 people.
In the wake of heavy rain the authorities have declared red alerts in seven more dams in Ponmudi, Kallarkutti, Erattayar, Lower Periyar, Kundala, Moozhiyar and Peringalkuthu.
Opening of Peringalkuthu dam increased the water levels of Chalakkudi river in Thrissur. The authorities have restricted the entry towards Athirapally waterfalls and Nelliyampathy tourist centre.
Four teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have reached the state for rescue and relief operations.
The revenue department has opened 49 relief camps in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur. Over 750 people including 286 women and 179 children have moved to the camps.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state was gearing up to deal with incidents like landslides, flash floods, thunderstorms and waterlogging.
He said water was being released in a controlled manner from 17 dams under the irrigation department and also a few minor dams of KSEB. However, the situation does not warrant raising the shutters of major hydroelectric dams, he added. “One team each of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been stationed in advance in Idukki, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Thrissur. One additional team each will be deployed in Ernakulam, Kollam, Kottayam and Malappuram,” Pinarayi said.
So far, 90 people — 19 men, 23 women and 48 children — have been shifted from disaster-prone areas to relief camps. A round-the-clock control room (8078548538) has been set up at the revenue minister’s office at the secretariat. Similar control rooms have been opened in district collectorates and taluk offices. All local bodies have also been instructed to open 24x7 control rooms and coordinate with district and taluk control rooms.