Rains: IMD withdraws Orange alert

Thiruvananthapuram: The India Meteorological Department (IMD), which had sounded an orange alert (heavy to very heavy rain) for 11 districts of the state during Wednesday withdrew it and changed it to yellow predicting ‘moderate rain’ in these areas during the day.

The IMD has also withdrawn the orange alert it issued for nine districts on October 21. However, it has predicted heavy to very heavy rain in Idukki, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta districts tomorrow.

The latest prediction of the weatherman has brought slight relief for the state which is still reeling under last week’s devastating flash flood and landslides that had claimed many lives and properties in Kottayam and Idukki districts.

Authorities today continued to release excess water stored in four major dams in the state including Idukki, Idamalayar, Pamba, and Kakki, shutters of which were opened on Wednesday after the water level in the reservoirs neared the red alert level.

The controlled and calculated release of water from the dams has not caused flooding as expected.

However, the low-lying Upper Kuttanad and Kuttanad areas of Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts have reported flooding after rivers including Pamba and Achankovil, and Manimala got swelled in the recent rains. Releasing water from Pamba and Kakki dams also added more woes to the people living downstream.

Alappuzha district authorities said fishermen from the coastal areas have been deployed in Kuttanad to engage in rescue operations in case the people living there are affected by floods.