Kerala Rains: Orange Alert In Thiruvananthapuram, Schools, Colleges Shut; Neyyar River Flowing Above Danger Mark – News18

Heavy rains continued to lash over several parts of Kerala on Wednesday, affecting normal life and leading to flood-like situations in many areas. Due to incessant rains over the past few days, the water level of several rivers in the state has reached close to the dangerous mark.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert, indicating very heavy rains, in Thiruvananthapuram, and a yellow alert, indicating heavy rains, in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts. The weather agency said that heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning is likely to continue to last over the state for the next four days.

In view of the weather conditions, the Thiruvananthapuram district administration has declared a holiday for educational institutions, including professional colleges and Kendriya Vidyalayas today.

Further, the Kerala Public Service Commission has also postponed the physical fitness test scheduled on October 4 and 5 October in Thiruvananthapuram district. The new date for the test has not been announced yet.

Damage Due To Rains

So far, in just the Thiruvananthapuram district, the heavy rains in the last few days partially damaged 23 houses and destroyed crops worth Rs 43.57 lakh. The heavy downpour had earlier submerged hundreds of acres of paddy fields at Edathua, a tiny hamlet in the Kuttanad region in Alappuzha district.

One person went missing in the Vamanapuram river near Vithura Ponnamchund bridge on October 1 and the search is still on for him, the district administration said.

Meanwhile, the Central Water Commission (CWC) has issued an orange alert for Aruvippuram station on Neyyar river in Thiruvananthapuram as the water level there was above the danger mark.

It also issued yellow alerts for Vellaikatav station on Karamana river (Thiruvananthapuram), Thumbaman station on Achankovil river (Pathanamthitta) and Kallupara station on Manimala river (Pathanamthitta), and asked people living near these rivers to be careful.

However, no major casualties have been reported anywhere in the state so far. The Disaster Management Authority has urged people living in high ranges to maintain extra vigil in view of the incessant rains.

Heavy Rains To Continue For Few More Days

The intense weather pattern is expected to continue in the coming days with the IMD predicting rain and thunderstorms to occur at many places in the state till October 5. “Thunderstorms with lightning accompanied by gusty winds with speeds reaching 30-40 kmph, are very likely to occur at one or two places in Kerala from October 3 to 5,” the IMD said.