26 dead as rain pounds northern Kerala

A resurgent monsoon has taken a calamitous turn in Kerala with major flooding events and landslides in the badly battered northern districts claiming 26 lives by the evening.

Two days of incessant rain in these districts has also created an unprecedented situation in which 24 of the 78 dams in the State have spilled over, necessitating the opening of shutters. 

Among these, a shutter at the Cheruthoni dam, the spillway for the Idukki arch dam that holds back the largest reservoir in the state, was opened after 26 years.

Earlier in the day, the Idamalayar dam in Ernakulam was opened forcing the Cochin International Airport  downstream to temporarily stop landing operations. 

Despite the shutter having been opened at Cheruthoni, the water level in Idukki has not shown any signs of receding thanks to the prodigious inflows from two days of very heavy to extremely heavy rain.

At 1 pm, the water level at Idukki was at 2399.10 ft against the full reservoir level of 2403 ft, with more rain being forecast over the next two days.

The Wayanad district has been totally marooned where personnel of the Navy and National Disaster Response Force have moved in.

The Idukki, Kozhikode, Kannur, Palakkad and Malappuram districts too have been witnessing very heavy to extremely heavy rain, which was much more than official forecast.

All revenue offices in the state have been directed to remain open round the clock till further orders and be prepared to carry out emergency rescue and relief operations.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here that while there is no need to panic, utmost caution must be maintained in all the affected areas in the context of of more rains being forecast.

In view of the torrential downpour, the State Tourism Department has decided to postpone the Nehru Trophy boat race scheduled on Saturday at Punnamada lake in Alappuzha.

Emergency medical teams have been deployed to the vulnerable areas on the sides of the Periyar river where the water level has been going up after the Cheruthoni shutters were opened.

PTI adds: A red alert was sounded ahead of the release of water from the Idukki Reservoir, the largest archdamin Asia. More than 10,000 people have been shifted to 157 relief camps across the State in the last two days, the government said. It has asked tourists not to go to high range areas and dam sites in the State.

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), which maintains the Idukki dam, asked people living downstream to be “extremely vigilant.”

Talking to reportershere after a review meeting, the Chief Minister said the flood situation was “very grim” and it was for the first time in the history of the State that 24 dams have been opened simultaneously.

A red alert has also been sound in Waynad district, which received 39.87 cm rain in the last two days, causing severe damage, according to district administrationsources.

Casualties

Waynad district accounted for three deaths, while Kannur, Ernakulam and Palakkad two each, officials said. The casualty in Idukki district included five members of a family in Adimali town.

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