Heavy Rains Trigger Red Alert in Kerala's Idukki, Goa Shuts Schools; HP Hit by Flash Floods | Updates

Heavy rains have led to a red alert being issued in Kerala’s Idukki, as well as in Raigad district in Maharashtra, while flash floods was reported in Himachal Pradesh’s Una district on Wednesday and deaths due to wall collapse in Gujarat’s Rajkot.

The IMD uses four colour codes for weather warnings green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action).

Kerala

Continuous heavy rainfall in Kerala since the night of July 4 has severely disrupted normal life leading to flooded roads, rising water levels in rivers and dams, homes damaged due to uprooted trees, and displaced many in coastal areas.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Idukki district, while orange alerts were issued for the remaining districts of the state, excluding Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.

The heavy rains resulted in the closure of schools, particularly those serving as relief camps, along with colleges and other educational institutions across various districts.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a Facebook post, said that presently a total of 47 camps are functioning in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Malappuram and Kasaragod districts and 879 persons have been shifted there.

The CM also said there are possibilities of flash floods, landslides and waterlogging in low lying areas and advised the public and the government agencies to be vigilant and cautious.

According to the latest IMD forecast, the intensity of the rainfall is expected to decrease in the coming days. However, orange alerts have been issued for six districts of the state for Thursday.

In Idukki, the Kallarkutty and Pambla dams began releasing 300 cumecs and 500 cumecs of water respectively, after reaching red alert levels. The district administration advised residents living near the Periyar and Muthirapuzha rivers to exercise caution and be prepared to relocate to relief camps if water entered their homes.

In Malappuram district, all shutters of the Kavanakkallu Regulator-cum-Bridge (RCB) across the Chaliyar river were also opened in the morning. Additionally, the Karikkayam and Ullunkal dams across the Kakkad river and the Maniyar dam on the Kakkattar river in Pathanamthitta district released several hundred cumecs of water.

As a result of rising water levels, small roads and streets in certain areas of the state became waterways, prompting people to use boats to reach relief camps.

Himachal Pradesh

A flash flood occurred in a village in Himachal Pradesh’s Una, leading to damages in about 10 houses in a village in Haroli area while viral videos on social media showed a car being swept away in the water in the district.

The Swan River in Haroli, located in Una district, was also observed to be in spate.

The local Met office has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places in plains, low and mid hills till July 9 and predicted a wet spell in the state till July 11. There is a possibility of flash floods along watersheds and other channels in Shimla, Mandi, Sirmaur and Solan districts, it added.

Karnataka

In light of the orange alert issued by the Meteorology Department, the authorities in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka have declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Thursday.

The district authorities have stated that all anganwadi centers, primary and high schools, undergraduate colleges, government-aided and private schools will remain closed. Parents have been advised to exercise caution and prevent their children from going to low-lying areas, lakes, rivers, seashores, or any waterlogged places.

Fishermen have also been warned against venturing into the sea. Additionally, district-level and taluk-level officials have been instructed to stay vigilant for potential rescue and relief operations if the situation demands.

Gujarat

Three rain-related deaths, including that of a 50-year-old woman and two minor girls while five persons were injured when two old houses collapsed after an adjacent wall fell on them in Jetpur town in Rajkot district of Gujarat

Prima facie, seepage from an overhead water tank and heavy rainfall in Jetpur, 70 km from Rajkot city, earlier this week might have weakened the foundation of the wall. “As per the preliminary information, two houses, built several decades ago, collapsed after an adjoining wall fell on them in Champraj Ni Bari area in Jetpur,” said Rajkot Superintendent of Police Jaipal Singh Rathore.

“Of the total eight persons trapped under the debris of the house, three died while five are undergoing treatment,” said local MLA Jayesh Radadiya.

Punjab and Haryana

As per the weather department, several areas in Punjab and Haryana experienced heavy rainfall on Wednesday. According to the weather report, Ludhiana in Punjab recorded 103 mm of rain, Ferozepur 40.5 mm, Gurdaspur 33.5 mm, Patiala 21 mm, Amritsar 17 mm, and Pathankot 9.2 mm. In Haryana, Hisar received 9 mm of rainfall, Ambala 8 mm, Sirsa 2 mm, and Karnal 1 mm, as stated in the weather department’s report. Chandigarh, the shared capital of both states, received 20.3 mm of rainfall.

Delhi

Parts of Delhi experienced light to moderate rainfall, and the Meteorological office has predicted further showers in the coming days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts cloudy weather and intermittent showers for the next six to seven days, with maximum temperatures ranging between 32 degrees Celsius and 35 degrees Celsius.

A yellow alert has been issued by the Met office, cautioning about the possibility of showers causing flooding in low-lying areas and disruptions in traffic on major roads.

Goa

With the IMD forecasting heavy rains in Goa, the state Education Department announced a one-day holiday for schools. Director of Education Shailesh Sinai Zingade issued a circular to this effect on Wednesday.

“In view of the incessant rain and alert issued by the Indian Meteorological Department’s Goa center predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy rainfall…. it is decided by the competent authority to declare holiday on 6th July 2023 from Std I to XII,” it read.

The IMD has predicted normal rainfall (94 to 106 per cent of the long-period average of 280.4 mm) in the country in July. However, it anticipates below-normal precipitation over many areas of northwest, northeast and southeast peninsular India.

(With inputs from PTI)

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