India Meteorological Department (IMD) sounded a "yellow alert" warning in 13 of the 14 districts of the state; Kottayam was the exception.
Yellow alert in Kerala. (iStock)
With the Southwest Monsoon gaining strength at the fag end of the season, the incessant heavy rains in Kerala on Friday, 29 September, continued on Saturday, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to sound a “yellow alert” in 13 of 14 districts of the state.
The only exception was Kottayam. The yellow alert predicts heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.
The uprooting of trees, waterlogging, and collapsing of compound walls were reported in many places, but no major casualties have happened anywhere in the state so far.
Heavy downpours submerged hundreds of acres of paddy fields at Edathua, a tiny hamlet in the Kuttanad region in Alappuzha district.
#Kerala experiences heavy to very heavy rainfall from 29th to 30th September 2023, with notable downpours in Ernakulam South 13cm, Hosdurg 11cm, Quilandi 10cm, Palluruthy 10cm, and Kozhikode 9cm. Stay informed and stay safe! pic.twitter.com/buNqjrSdo9
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) September 30, 2023
The shutters of Aruvikkara Dam near the state capital were raised up to 160 cm in view of the rising water level, district authorities in Thiruvananthapuram said.
As the rain is expected to intensify in the coming hours, the state Disaster Management Authority urged people living in high range to maintain extra vigil and directed fishermen not to venture into the sea.
Shutters of some dams including Peppara and Neyyar Dams near the state capital were also raised on Friday, following a rise in the water level.
On Saturday, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), cautioned the fishermen to not venture into the Kerala-Lakshadweep coasts as there are chances of strong winds and bad weather.
Urging people to maintain extra vigil, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said the continuous heavy rains may cause hazards such as landslides and flashfloods in hilly areas.
So, people living in disaster-prone areas in the mountains should be shifted to safer places, KSDMA said in a statement. It also advised people to completely avoid nighttime journeys through mountainous regions.
The agency also urged people on the coast to be extra cautious in view of the rough seas and take steps to protect equipment used for their livelihood, including fishing nets, boats and so on.
(With PTI inputs)
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