Heavy Rainfall Disrupts Life in Kerala; TN Inundated With Dams Overflowing

Commuters wade through a waterlogged road during heavy rain in Kozhikode, Kerala.

(Photo: PTI)

Kerala witnessed heavy downpour over the weekend, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert in the districts of Ernakulam, Idukki, and Thrissur on Sunday, 14 November.

In Kalamassery, a lorry driver was killed in a landslide triggered by heavy rain.

A low pressure area persists over the central parts of the Andaman Sea, which is likely to intensify on Monday.

There is also likelihood of another low pressure formation over the east-central Arabian Sea, off the south Maharashtra-Goa coasts around 17 November.

Educations Establishments Shut in Several Districts

Meanwhile, in Kerala's Kollam, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Alappuzha all educational institutions will remain shut on Monday on account of the weather condition. In Kasargod, all educational establishments except colleges will be shut.

The IMD had issued an orange alert in these districts, along with Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Kannur on Sunday. The areas witnessed isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall, about 11-20 cm in 24 hours.

Nedumangadu and Kattakada taluks in Thiruvananthapuram also closed its schools due to the rainfall.

The IMD issued a yellow alert in Palakkad, Malappuram, and Wayanad for 7-11 cm of isolated heavy rainfall.

A shutter of the Idukki dam was opened at 2 pm on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi asked his party workers to help the people of the state "in every way possible".

"Our brothers and sisters in Kerala are braving heavy rains. I appeal to Congress workers to help in every way possible. Please take care and follow all safety guidelines," he wrote on his official Twitter account.

Tamil Nadu: Dam Overflow Floods Village Homes, Hundreds in Relief Camps

The Kanyakumari district in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, meanwhile, recorded 717 mm of rainfall from the morning of 1 October to the morning of 13 November.

Of this, 90mm of rainfall occurred in the 24 hour period up to 8:30 am on 13 November, with incidents of flooding and extreme inundation being reported in the area.

On Sunday, a 45-year-old woman died after a boulder rolled off the hillock and plunged into some houses on the foothills of Kagithapattarai, off the Benguluru Highway in Vellore.

A statement by the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNDSMA) said that Perunchani and Puthan dams both received 220 mm of rainfall, while Suralacode received 140 mm and Kannimar received 100 mm rainfall, The News Minute reported.

Overflowing water from dams gushed into paddy fields, villages, and homes near the banks, resulting in hundreds of people being sent to relief camps.

Water released from Peruchani dam and Pechiparai reservoir, caused the submerging of villages like Nanjil Nagar and Kothai, TNM reported. In Peyankuzhi and Villukuri villages, canals overflowed onto the rail tracks at Nullivilai.

As per Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management KKSSR Ramachandran, dwelling encroachments in rice fields have exacerbated the flooding witnessed in Kanyakumari.

Fire department and disaster relief personnel have been deployed for rescuing operations.

As per Kanyakumari District Collector M Arvind, 65 relief camps have been established where 3,150 people are receiving shelter and food, TNM reported.

On Sunday, the Tamil Nadu government announced that the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam had reached 140 feet, indicating the likelihood of its shutters being opened if the water continues to rise.

(With inputs from The News Minute and PTI.)