Thiruvananthapuram:
Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Sunday said eight people had died, eight remained missing, and 13 were injured after heavy rain triggered landslides, flooding and widespread damage across the state on Saturday.
In a statement issued by his office, Satheesan said 27 houses had been destroyed, 196 partially damaged, and 5,792 people shifted to 209 relief camps across the state.
He said the government would ensure assistance to the families of those who died and to people who had lost their homes and livelihoods.
The CM urged people to remain vigilant, particularly in hilly areas, despite a reduction in rainfall since Saturday.
He said people’s representatives and volunteers were actively engaged in relief operations.
Satheesan said he was in constant touch with Revenue Minister AP Anilkumar, other ministers assigned to various districts and local authorities to monitor the relief efforts.
He said cleaning operations had begun in flood-affected and waterlogged areas and urged workers and volunteers of political parties and social organisations to participate in the effort.
The India Meteorological Department issued an ‘orange alert’ for 12 districts of Kerala and a ‘yellow alert’ for Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts.
An ‘orange alert’ indicates very heavy rainfall between 11 cm and 20 cm, while a ‘yellow alert’ signifies heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.
The IMD forecast heavy rainfall in the state on August 3 and 6, accompanied by strong winds with speeds of 40-50 kmph.
It advised fishermen not to venture into the Kerala-Karnataka-Lakshadweep coast on August 2 and 3 due to the likelihood of strong winds of up to 60 kmph and rough sea conditions.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services warned of high waves measuring 2.7 to 3.5 metres along the northern Kerala coast and advised fishermen and coastal residents to remain vigilant.
The state Revenue Minister AP Anilkumar told reporters that the situation was improving and remained under control despite widespread damage and waterlogging caused by the heavy rain.
He said traffic had been restored on many damaged roads, though restrictions on vehicular movement remained in some areas.
The minister said alerts had already been issued for several districts in view of the forecast of heavy rain and that all necessary preparations were in place.
According to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, some parts of the state received up to 320 mm of rainfall on Saturday, resulting in severe waterlogging in low-lying areas.
The highest rainfall of 320 mm was recorded at Ayyankunnu in Kannur district, while several parts of the Malabar region received between 90 mm and 180 mm of rainfall between 3 am and midnight on Saturday.
Television visuals showed floodwater entering homes in low-lying and riverside areas of Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Wayanad, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Kannur districts.
On Sunday morning, although the rain had subsided, many parts of the state, particularly Ranni in Pathanamthitta district and Kuttanad in Alappuzha district, remained waterlogged, forcing people to use small boats for transportation.
The water level in several power generation dams in Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts continued to remain in the red alert zone, according to the KSDMA.
State Tourism Minister PC Vishnunadh said an additional National Disaster Response Force team had been deployed in Pathanamthitta and Aranmula for rescue and relief operations, while additional Fire and Rescue Services personnel had been mobilised from Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad and Ernakulam.
He said fishermen and fishing boats had also been kept ready for emergency deployment, with special attention being given to Aranmula as floodwaters usually recede more slowly there.
BJP leader PC George told a television channel that his house in Erattupetta in Kottayam district was flooded on Saturday, causing property damage worth lakhs of rupees.
Senior CPI(M) leader KN Balagopal, who visited flood-hit areas in Ranni, said traders had suffered heavy financial losses due to the flooding.
He claimed that many shop owners had complained that they were not given prior warning about the opening of dams, which they alleged contributed to the flooding.
In view of the continuing rain and weather alerts, holidays were declared for educational institutions in Pathanamthitta, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts on August 3.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
