Now, God’s Own Country faces rain god’s wrath!

Red alert sounded in Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur; dams filled  to the brim, people living in landslide-prone areas relocated

Pthanamthitta/Idukki: With heavy rains lashing  various parts of the state  since Saturday night, the  India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday declared a red alert in  central Kerala districts of  Ernakulam, Idukki and  Thrissur for the day.

Chief Minister Pinarayi  Vijayan, in a Facebook  post, asked everyone to be  extra vigilant in view of  the risk of landslides and  other hazards due to the  unseasonal rainfall.

Authorities and the public need to be extra vigilant  in the event of heavy rains  in Kerala as part of the  westerly winds, he said. He  said that people living in  landslide and flood-prone  areas will have to relocate  to safer places or nearby  relief camps as there is a  possibility of widespread  rains in the coming hours.

The cleanliness of the  camps, availability of food  and a screening system for  diseases should be ensured,  he said.

Later, in a press release,  the Chief Minister said  that in a meeting of district collectors and officials  it has been decided to limit  the number of pilgrims  to Lord Ayyappa temple  at Sabarimala in the next  three to four days due to  the heavy rains.

The ritualistic bathing  in the river Pampa will not  be allowed as its levels were  dangerously high, spot  booking will be stopped  for the time and changing  dates of those who booked  through virtual queue system will also be considered  to control the flow of pilgrims, the release said.

The Chief Minister, in  the release, also said that  the Kakki dam has been  opened. The heavy rains led to  water level in various dams  in the state rising to the red  alert mark, prompting the  government to open one of  the shutters of Cheruthoni  dam of Idukki reservoir in  the afternoon.

Shutter number 3 of  Cheruthoni dam was raised  by 40 centimetres at 2 PM  after the water level in the  reservoir reached 2398.94  feet, close to the red alert  mark of 2399.03 feet.

Earlier in the day, due to  the heavy rains, water level  in various places along the  Periyar river was seen to  be rising, the state government said. The heavy rains  inundated roads in several  parts of southern Kerala,  which also saw landslides  in some parts. -(PTI)

 Mullaperiyar gates may be opened if water level crosses 140 feet

According to he Idukki district administration, the  Tamil Nadu government said the water level in the  Mullaperiyar dam reached 140 feet on Sunday  morning. As a result, people living on both sides of  the Periyar should be extra vigilant as the shutters  of the dam could be opened in the next 24 hours, TN  said. If the water level rises further, and there was a  possibility that excess water would overflow.  Visuals on news channels showed submerged roads  in various parts of Pathanamthitta and Kollam  districts, where an orange alert has been issued. Incessant rains caused minor landslides and  disruption of train services in parts of Kerala on  Saturday. -(PTI)