Thiruvananthapuram: Red alert has been issued in Idukki, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram and Kannur districts of Kerala from 19 to 22 July.
Monsoon had set in over the State on 8 June. The State witnessed heavy rain for the last two days and seven fishermen are reportedly missing.
Several trees uprooted and houses have been damaged. With this being the case, relief camps have been set up in two districts. According to a media report, Peermede in Idukki and Kozhikode each recorded 15 cm of rainfall, and Ponnani in Malappuram recorded 14 cm. Some places in Malappuram, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Kottayam districts received over 12 cm rain.
The missing fishermen were from Vizhinjam and Shaktikulnagara in Kollam and had set out in separate boats. Local people protested saying that no measures have been taken to find them.
However, a media report quoted a coastal police as saying that they have already deployed boats, but rough sea was making it difficult to conduct search operations. Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram District Collector K Gopalakrishnan met the protesting people and assured all help.
In Kollam, three fishermen went missing after their boat overturned in the choppy waters. Two others in the boat, who swam to safety, were rescued and have been hospitalised.
According to the report, many low lying areas in Kozhikode were waterlogged. People in Kannur were shifted to relief camps. A well caved in at Malappuram, and rainwater entered several homes in low lying areas in Kochi. Landslips were witnessed in some places and this affected vehicular movement on the Ettumanoor-Peerumedu Road.
Pilgrims visiting the famous Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala faced difficulties due to the weather condition. Kasargod District Collector has declared a holiday tomorrow for all educational institutions, including professional colleges in the district in the wake of heavy rains and red alert.
Orange and yellow alerts have been issued across various districts. Yellow alert has been issued for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Kasargod districts.