The administration is ready to evacuate people in case of emergency. (Representative)
Kochi:
Torrential rains lashed central Kerala on Tuesday, prompting authorities to issue an alert for residents vulnerable to waterlogging. Educational institutions were closed in the affected areas as the Meteorological Department had warned of severe weather conditions for the next two days.
Officials said residents of the affected areas have been alerted and preparations are on to evacuate them in case such an emergency arises.
A video going viral on social media shows waterlogging in several parts of Kochi city, some towns and villages in Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Kottayam districts, making life miserable for the people living there.
The Atachamayam celebrations have been delayed due to heavy rains and waterlogging at Thripunithura near here, marking the start of the 10-day ‘Onam’ festival in Kerala.
District collectors have declared holiday in schools in flood-affected taluks in several central districts of the state.
The water level in Kuttanad, a rice bowl of coastal Alappuzha district, rose as rivers flowing through the region breached their territory at several places.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), in its latest advisory, said that one or two places in Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Kottayam districts would receive heavy rains today.
The hilly areas of central Kerala have been receiving heavy rains for the past few days due to which the water level in several rivers has been reported to rise.
Five members of a family were killed when a landslide hit their house due to heavy rains in a village near Thodupuzha in Idukki district in the early hours of Monday.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)