Heavy rain in Kerala: Tourists warned to avoid hilly areas, schools and colleges shut in 3 districts put on red alert
Officials of the Revenue Department, the Kerala State Electricity Board, panchayats, and the Public Works Department were told to remain alert and ready to face any eventuality.
The IMD says another low-pressure area may develop over the Southeast Bay of Bengal around November 22 and may intensify in the coming days. (File Photo)
Kerala has put three districts on red alert, ordering that all schools, colleges and other educational institutions remain shut in these districts on Wednesday after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted very heavy rainfall.
The districts put on red alert are Idukki, Malappuram and Palakkad. As part of the precautions, the districts have been ordered to close tourism centres and warn people against travelling to hilly regions. The government has also ordered the stopping of mining activities until further directions.
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Officials of the Revenue Department, the Kerala State Electricity Board, panchayats, and the Public Works Department were told to remain alert and ready to face any eventuality.
The water level at the Mullaperiyar dam in Idukki district touched 138.50 feet on Tuesday, against the maximum permissible level of 142 feet. The inflow to the dam is 7,086 cubic feet per second, while the surplus discharge is 6,003 cubic feet per second.
On Saturday, extreme rainfall at Kumily in Idukki had triggered landslides and a flash flood, causing widespread destruction to farmlands.
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After the northeast monsoon set in over Kerala in the first week of October, the state has been reporting heavy spells of rain in several parts. At the same time, the state has also reported a total 27% rain deficit in the three weeks of October.
On Tuesday, most districts experienced overcast skies and intermittent rainfall throughout the day. The high ranges of Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Kozhikode, and the hill district of Idukki received widespread downpours.
A red alert indicates “heavy to extremely heavy rain” of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means “very heavy rain” of 11 cm to 20 cm is predicted.
The IMD says another low-pressure area may develop over the Southeast Bay of Bengal around November 22 and may intensify in the coming days. (File Photo) 
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