Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the situation in the state was serious, but the latest weather reports were a relief. He said the reports did not show signs that the situation could become worse than what was at hand. Three persons were killed in a landslide at Kottayam district even as 16 are missing as heavy rains lashed the coastal state on Saturday.
LIVE UPDATES | Kerala Floods LIVE Updates: 3 Dead in Kottayam Landslide; 12 Still Missing; Reopening of Colleges Pushed to Oct 20
The chief minister said colleges that were about to reopen from October 18 should now only open from October 20. It was also decided that the Sabarimala pilgrimage will be avoided till October 19.
The Met department has issued a red alert for five districts – Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur, followed by an alarm for Palakkad. Vijayan held a high-level meeting on Saturday to intensify rescue efforts, and said all means will be used to evacuate people stranded in flooded areas, including Kottayam. He gave directions regarding safety procedures and measures to be taken.
Vijayan said, “Action should taken to immediately evacuate people from low-lying areas, and places where there are possibilities of landslides or flooding.”
He said camps have to be started with Covid-19 safety protocols in place. Masks and sanitisers should be made available at these camps, along with drinking water and medicine, he added.
He also said people who have co-morbidities and those who are unvaccinated should practise caution.
Vijayan also gave directions regarding list of boats to be made available for rescue operations, and that water level in dams should be monitored closely as well as evacuation alerts should be issued as soon as possible.
South and central Kerala have been pounded by rains, especially affecting Kottayam and Idukki districts. Army and air force have deployed assets for rescue operations. According to the latest update by the Indian Meteorological Department, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta are among most affected districts in the state as of now due to heavy rains since Friday night.
Visuals have emerged on social media from different parts of Kottayam district, including a KSRTC bus stuck in flood water and locals rescuing passengers from it. Destruction of roads was reported in many places, including in Kollam and Kottayam districts, while severe waterlogging made life miserable in Kuttanad region, popularly known as the ‘rice bowl’ of the state spread in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts. The water level is rising steadily in many rivers including Meenachil and Manimala in the district.
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Source: News18