Heavy rainfall hits Kerala: Schools shut, red alert issued in 3 districts

Heavy rains accompanied with storm lashed Kerala, uprooting trees, inflicting damage to homes, and creating waterlogging. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for three districts – Idukki, Kasaragod, and Kannur – and an orange alert for the remaining eleven.

As a precaution, educational institutions in six districts, including Ernakulam, Kannur, Idukki, Thrissur, Kottayam, and Kasargod, have been shuttered. Peermade in the Idukki district experienced 100 mm of rain in a single day on Tuesday.

The Kasargod collector has declared a school vacation, while schools in Pathanamathitta district have been temporarily transformed into relief facilities for individuals impacted by the rain. The district's schools that were serving as relief camps were shuttered.

Revenue Minister K Rajan convened a high-level meeting of revenue authorities, including district collectors, to evaluate the situation. In a Facebook post, the minister asked people to be cautious but assured them that there was no need to worry. He stressed that reliable information is being provided by the tax department and the state disaster management body, and that control rooms have been established in all districts. All taluks have also built Emergency Operation Centres.

Rajan urged the people to exercise care and seek information from trustworthy sources. Large trees were uprooted in numerous districts, including Kollam, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Kottayam, and Ernakulam, resulting in multiple incidences when individuals narrowly averted danger. Many regions of the state have had power disruptions as a result of fallen trees damaging electric poles.