As heavy rains continue in Kerala, two people were killed in separate rain-related incidents on Tuesday, October 12. A local journalist from Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district lost his life after a tree that was uprooted due to the rains fell on his bike, according to The Hindu. The other death occurred in Kannur district, where a man drowned in a canal, an official in the Disaster Management department said.
With this, the death toll in the state rises to 4. Early on Tuesday morning an infant and her 8-year-old sister were killed after their house collapsed due to the rains. Disaster Management officials also added that two houses have been completely damaged and 94 houses have been partially damaged in the rains, as of 5 pm on Tuesday.
The incessant rains on Tuesday led to people being evacuated from certain parts of Thrissur and Kozhikode to relief and rehabilitation camps. The weather department and the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) have issued orange and yellow warnings for various districts– Kozhikode, Palakkad, Malappuram and Wayanad– until October 15. While orange warnings indicate that the district authorities need to be prepared to take emergency action, yellow warnings are for authorities to stay updated on the changing weather conditions.
Following the warnings and rising water levels in various dams and rivers of the state, district administrations in Thrissur, Kozhikode and Malappuram, swung into action and began evacuating families, who were affected or could be affected by the heavy rainfall, to relief camps.
In Thrissur, the state Minister for Land Revenue, K Rajan, took note of the heavy rainfall there which was leading to the rising water levels in the Chalakudy river, and asked for immediate precautionary measures to be taken.
He also convened an online meeting of all the District Collectors and directed them to be prepared to combat the present weather conditions and its consequences, like floods and landslides. He also said that the Collectors were asked to take precautionary measures based on the state's previous experiences due to heavy rainfall in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
An emergency meeting was held at the Chalakudy Taluk office under the leadership of the District Collector, who also visited some of the inundated sites. He later told reporters that the situation was under control, but that entry to tourist attractions in the district was prohibited presently.
In Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod, officials in the district administration said that they have geared up to face any calamities which could result due to the downpour and have cautioned fishermen and those living in low-lying areas to be alert.
The weather department has predicted 64.5 mm to 204.4 mm of rainfall over the next 24 hours in various parts of Kerala. The SDMA, in its release, has said that those living in areas at risk of natural disasters during the rains should have an emergency kit ready immediately.
According to IMD, the heavy rains are due to cyclonic circulation present over the east-central Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, and it was likely to persist for the next three days and as result, isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall was very likely in Kerala from October 11 to October 15.
(With PTI inputs)