THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Met Department withdrew the red alert issued for Thursday, but warned of heavy rain or isolated heavy rain across the state. Five more rain-related deaths were also reported on Wednesday, taking the toll to 17. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for 12 districts and yellow alert for Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. The withdrawal of red alert indicates the weakening of the current spell, but the rain in the coming days would depend on the influence of the cyclonic circulation developed near the North Tamil Nadu coast in Bay of Bengal, weather experts said.
The five deaths reported on the day were of Dasan, 70, from Vaikom, Amal Mathew, 18, from Manarcaud, Gilbert, 54, and Varghese, 46, from Chavakad and Babu, 53, from Puthukad. Three houses were fully damaged and 72 partly on Wednesday.
With this, 30 houses have been fully damaged and 198 partly since Sunday. The number of people shifted to relief camps crossed 5,000. As many as 5168 people have been moved to 178 relief camps opened by the revenue department. Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine said there was no need to raise the shutters of the Idukki and Mullaperiyar dams.
CM urges collectors to help stranded tourists
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed the district collectors to move tourists stuck in rain to safer locations. The tourists staying in resorts should be allowed to continue there if there was no prevailing threat, he said. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has ordered that high alert should be maintained in landslide-prone high ranges, river banks, low-lying areas and other regions that received heavy rainfall. It has advised against night travel in high ranges.
Fishermen have been warmed from venturing into sea as the waves could rise as high as 3.3 metres, till August 4. Two units of the NDRF have been stationed at Thrissur, and one unit each at Idukki, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Kottayam, and Kasaragod. Besides two units of Defence Security Corps are stationed at Kannur and Palakkad while a column of military personnel is stationed at Thiruvananthapuram.
Holiday
Holiday for all educational institutions in Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts
MG University has put off all exams