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CM Vijayan urges people to remain alert amid heavy rain
The IMD has declared code red alert in Ernakulam and Thrissur distts on Thursday and code orange alert in eight other districts
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday asked people, residing in low-lying areas and those prone to floods and landslides, to contact local officials and move to government relief camps in the backdrop of continuing heavy rains in the state.
“Extremely heavy rain can cause accidents. We are expecting heavy rainfall in a short span of time. It can lead to flash floods and heavy flow of water through the hills. There are chances of waterlogging in low-lying areas and neighbourhoods in cities. If rain continues, there could be mudslides and landslides. The public must exercise caution,” the chief minister said in a statement. “Those who are facing danger must contact officials and move to safer areas,” he said.
The chief minister also warned fishermen not to venture out to sea from the coast until further orders.
As of Thursday evening, 223 people were shifted to eight relief camps across the state, the CM’s office stated.
The IMD has declared code red alert in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts on Thursday and code orange alert in eight other districts. On Friday, orange alert is in place in three districts and yellow alert in six other districts.
The weather agency said that a low-pressure area has formed over southeast Arabian Sea off the coast of Kerala which is propelling the heavy rains. “Strong westerly/southwesterly winds at lower levels likely to continue over Kerala and Lakshadweep region during May 23-25, 2024,” the IMD said in a bulletin on Thursday. “Under its influence, widespread rainfall activity with heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely to occur over isolated places in Kerala on May 23.”
Uninterrupted rains on Thursday led to severe waterlogging in Kochi and Thrissur, with houses being inundated by floodwaters. Kochi mayor M Anilkumar said certain neighbourhoods in the city came under water as severe rains, lasting for over three hours, coincided with high tide in the sea. “Thus the water from the canals were not emptying out into the backwaters,” he wrote on Facebook.
In Thrissur, Ashwini Hospital, a prominent healthcare centre in the town that a lot of people depend upon, was flooded on Wednesday evening with water even seeping into the casualty section. The waterlogging was a result of drains not being cleaned ahead of the monsoon, locals said. The district collector asked the civic body secretary to ensure that all drains in the city were cleaned as soon as possible.
