Even as a search continues for people trapped in a landslide in Pettumudi near Idukki district’s Rajamalai, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday announced that the state has received rainfall that it usually gets over a period of one month in just ten days in August. The state has been receiving heavy to extremely heavy rainfall since the beginning of August, and many people have been shifted to relief camps across several districts.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that as per the statistics from the Indian Meteorological Department, the normal rainfall that Kerala receives during the month of August is 427 millimetres. However, in the last ten days, from August 1 to 10, Kerala has received 476 millimetres of rain.
“This means the state received rainfall that it gets over a month in just ten days. This kind of heavy rainfall has been repeating in the state in August for the past three years. The state has been receiving extreme rainfall in August for the last three years,” the Chief Minister said, during his customary COVID-19 update press meet on Monday.
“The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted that the rains will subside in the coming days. But the IMD has also predicted isolated heavy rains in certain areas on Monday and Tuesday. In the hilly regions that received extremely heavy rain in the past few days, there is a possibility of landslides and soil erosion, even if the rains will be moderately heavy. This indicates that we shouldn’t give up the vigil on the hilly regions,” Pinarayi added.
Water has been released in a controlled manner from the small dams under the Irrigation and Power Departments and this will be stopped once the water level is reduced to 'below alert' levels.
Till then, the Chief Minister has asked those who live on the banks of rivers near the dams to be on alert. The water levels in some rivers have reduced as the water flows to the sea from the waterlogged regions. But the water is up to the warning level in Achankovil, Manimalayar and Meenachil rivers, as per the flood alert of the Central Water Commission.
“The water level in the rivers has begun reducing on Monday. In general, it is a relief that the precarious situation is easing. But the alert will continue for some more days. The government has firmly continued the efforts to mitigate the flood,” Pinarayi said.