Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy rains and strong winds continued to lash parts of Kerala on Sunday, causing a rise in the water levels of several rivers and dams, damaging homes, and disrupting power supply across various districts.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Idukki, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts, indicating very heavy rainfall between 11 and 20 cm. A yellow alert, signalling heavy rain of 6 to 11 cm, was issued for six other districts. While the intensity of rainfall is expected to ease from Sunday, strong winds are likely to persist for the next couple of days, said Revenue Minister K Rajan. He noted that the recent heavy rains have caused minor landslides and uprooting of trees in many areas.
In Wayanad, the shutters of Banasura Sagar dam were opened by around 85 cm on Sunday morning to release approximately 100 cusecs of water due to heavy inflow from the catchment area. The district administration advised residents along the downstream areas and low-lying regions to remain cautious. Meanwhile, in Pathanamthitta, all three shutters of the Moozhiyar reservoir were opened after water levels crossed the red alert threshold of 190 metres.
More than 100 houses were damaged in the southern district due to strong winds and rain, prompting authorities to relocate several families to relief camps. Similar camps were set up in Wayanad, where around 30 families were moved for safety.
The Irrigation Design and Research Board (IDRB) issued flood warnings for multiple rivers: Manimala, Pamba, and Achankovil in Pathanamthitta; Muvattupuzha, Kaliyar, and Periyar in Ernakulam; Pallikkal in Kollam; and Vamanapuram in Thiruvananthapuram. Alerts were also issued for Bharathappuzha and Chalakudy in Thrissur, Thodupuzha in Idukki, Bhavani in Palakkad, Korappuzha in Kozhikode, Valapattanam in Kannur, and Kabani in Wayanad. Residents along riverbanks were urged to remain vigilant and be prepared for possible evacuations.
Fishermen were warned against venturing into the sea along the Kerala-Lakshadweep coast from July 27 to July 29 and the Karnataka coast from July 27 to July 31 due to adverse weather conditions. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) also issued alerts about likely sea surges and high waves ranging from 2.9 to 3.2 metres along the Kannur-Kasaragod coast from 5:30 pm on July 27 to 2:30 am on July 28.
With PTI inputs