Even as parts of Kerala have been witnessing heavy rains for the past week, the state will continue to see rains for the next five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday, July 17. The IMD said that the state received only 16% of the rain that it was supposed to in June; however, over 250 mm of rain was received in Kerala from July 8 to July 16, making up for the relatively dry June.
Northern Kerala has witnessed heavy rainfall since July 8, while central and South Kerala received comparatively low rainfall. But southern districts also saw heavy rainfall on Sunday, July 17. Water levels in several dams, including the Mullaperiyar and Idukki dams, are reaching their respective storage capacities and some even reached red alert status on Sunday. According to figures provided by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), water in six dams — of which four are in Idukki — under the control of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) are at red alert levels and in one at orange alert level.
The dams where water has reached red alert levels at 11 am on Sunday were Ponmudi, Kallarkutty, Erattayar and Lower Periyar in Idukki, Kuttiyadi in Kozhikode and Moozhiyar in Pathanamthitta districts of the state. Water levels in the Mullaperiyar dam, meanwhile, were holding steady at 135.7 feet as of noon, due to a reduction in rainfall in the area for the last few hours. No alerts have been issued, an official from the control room set up in Idukki district said. The official said that there was a slight increase in water level at Idukki dam, but nothing to be concerned about due to reduction in rainfall there at the moment.
Meanwhile, the IMD on Sunday issued a yellow alert in nine out of the 14 districts of the state for the day. On Saturday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, referring to the Met department’s data, had said heavy rains would continue for the next five days and cautioned people living in hilly regions to remain vigilant.
Authorities had sounded alerts to people residing on banks of various rivers where water levels were rising due to heavy rainfall in the state.
The uninterrupted downpour in Kerala continues to play havoc in various parts of the state with reports of massive flooding in some areas and people being shifted to rescue shelters in others.
Many houses in the coastal belt of the state were partially damaged in the gusty winds and massive rains there.
