Kerala rains: Orange alert issued for 11 districts for October 20; check forecast here

For October 20, an orange alert has been issued in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur. Yellow alerts have been issued in the districts of Kasaragod, Alappuzha and Kollam. Officials said two shutters of the Idamalayar Dam in Ernakulam district were opened for 50 cm each at 6 am on Tuesday, following continuous rains in Kerala that prompted water levels in the state's dams to rise. The Idamalayar Dam's water level is 165.70 metres, with a full reservoir level of 169 metres and a maximum water level of 171 metres. There has been incessant rain in the state. The state's Department of Information and Public Relations has issued a 'blue warning' for Idamalayar Dam due to the rising water level.

Dams on red alert; residents along river banks moved to other areas 

Pamba Dam is on Red Alert, with a water level of 985.175 metres at 8 am today and a full reservoir level of 986.33 metres. The Kakki Reservoir has also been placed on red alert. It had a water level of 979.98 metres at 8 am today, with a full reservoir level of 981.46 metres. In the Thrissur district, the shutters of the Peechi, Chimmini, Poomala, Asurankundu, Pathazhakundu, and Vazhani dams have been opened. In Palakkad district, the Chulliyar Dam, Mangalam, Malampuzha, Kanjirapuzha, and Shiruvani dams have all been completed.

Residents living along the rivers' banks and in the surrounding areas have been warned to take caution and vigilance in the face of increasing waters. So far, 27 people have died as a result of torrential rains that created landslides in Kerala. There were 14 reported deaths in Kottayam, ten in Idukki, and one each in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, and Kozhikode districts. In the meantime, the bodies of 13 people killed at a landslide in Plaupally village (Kanjirapally Taluk, Kottayam District) have been retrieved. One of them hails from the Idukki region. Johnson Sebastian (35), an Ettumanoor local, drowned in Ettumanoor's Cheruvandoor paddy field.

A landslide in Kokkayar, Peerumedu village, Idukki district, entirely destroyed four houses. This catastrophe claimed the lives of seven people, including five children and two adults. At the same time, authorities are looking for Ansi (52) who went missing during a flash flood in Idukki. The relief camps must have proper amenities, according to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. It is necessary to give food, clothing, and sleep. In addition to the Revenue Department, the relevant Local Self Government (LSG) organisations have been urged to take note of this. They have also been asked by the Chief Minister to seek assistance from local communities.

Due to the constant rains, the state's dams have been fast filling up. On Monday, the Kaki Ananthodu Dam in Pathanamthitta district opened its shutters. The dams at Moozhiyar and Maniyar have also been opened. To avert floods, the shutters of the Peechi, Chimmini, Poomala, Asurankundu, Pathazhakundu, and Vazhani dams in the Thrissur district have been opened.

With inputs from ANI

Image: PTI / Twitter - Jebin Matthew