Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam are under red alert while an orange alert has been issued in the remaining districts of Kerala barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasargod as per the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) district rainfall forecast, today at 10am.
A red alert is issued when heavy to extremely heavy rain is recorded of over 20 cm in 24 hours. The orange alert indicates very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm, whereas heavy rainfall between 6 and 11 cm falls under the yellow alert.
The Kerala government has released figures in a press release stating that 166 relief camps have been set up in various districts and 4,639 people have been relocated there from disaster-hit or disaster-prone areas.
{{/usCountry}}The Kerala government has released figures in a press release stating that 166 relief camps have been set up in various districts and 4,639 people have been relocated there from disaster-hit or disaster-prone areas.
{{/usCountry}}Expressing concern over a new trend called "flood tourism", Kerala's revenue minister K Rajan urged the people of the state to strictly avoid going to areas which are inundated or flooded. He also warned that police would be used to remove such people.
The minister added that people entering flooded areas to catch fish or trying to get into the water creates an extra burden on the authorities carrying out relief and rescue operations.
Referring to an incident that took place on Tuesday, when an elephant was stranded for hours in the Chalakudy river and people had gathered at that spot, creating obstacles for the local authorities, the minister said, “Such activities in flooded areas would not be permitted at all”.
According to IMD, heavy rains are expected in the state till August 4. The agency had also pointed out that monsoon had set in over Kerala three days prior to its normal onset date on June 1.
(With inputs from PTI)