- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday (17) issued a ‘yellow alert’ in 11 districts of the southern Indian state of Kerala for heavy rainfall, which has already claimed 19 lives so far.
The alert has been issued for the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kozhikode.
The IMD said a low-pressure area over the southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining parts of Kerala has become less marked and there is a chance of light to moderate rainfall at many places with only isolated heavy rainfall over Kerala in the next 24 hours and a further fall thereafter.
Over the last 24 hours, southern and central parts of Kerala have experienced extremely high rainfall and landslides in which 19 have died while several have been injured and displaced. Thirteen deaths were reported from Kottayam’s Koottickal while six deaths were reported from Idukki.
A number of state ministers such as K Rajan, Roshy Augustine and VN Vasavan took part in a review meeting to assess the situation caused by heavy rain in Kottayam district on Sunday morning, Asian News International reported.
Eleven teams of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have been sent to the state in coordination with Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. Thirty-three people, including eight women and seven children have been rescued so far, sources in NDRF said.
Rescue operations were being undertaken in various districts of the state such as Idukki, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta while the Indian Navy airdropped relief material at the landslide-affected Koottickal area of Kottayam district.
Indian home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the central government is continuously monitoring the situation in Kerala and will extend all possible help to the people of the state.
“We are continuously monitoring the situation in parts of Kerala in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. The central govt will provide all possible support to help people in need. NDRF teams have already been sent to assist the rescue operations. Praying for everyone’s safety,” he tweeted.
We are continuously monitoring the situation in parts of Kerala in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. The central govt will provide all possible support to help people in need. NDRF teams have already been sent to assist the rescue operations. Praying for everyone’s safety.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 17, 2021
