College reopening, Sabarimala pilgrimage postponed as rain wreaks havoc in Kerala

 

As heavy rains continue to wreak havoc in Kerala, the state government has decided to postpone the reopening of higher education institutions to October 20.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday evening to assess the situation. It has also decided not to allow pilgrims to Sabarimala until October 19.

The meteorological department has sounded a red alert predicting extremely heavy rainfall in five districts of the state. The state government has sought the assistance of the Indian Air Force for rescue operations in Kottayam and Idukki districts where landslides have occurred.

Several people are feared missing in landslides in Koottickal and Peruvanthanam areas.

Educational institutions, including professional colleges, were about to reopen on October 18 after a gap of over a year. Earlier this week, the higher education department had also issued detailed guidelines in this regard.