At least one person was killed in Kerala’s Idukki district on Sunday amid heavy flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall, The Hindu reported.
The India Meteorological Department said that the rain will continue in the state till Wednesday due to a low-pressure area formed over the Arabian Sea. It had also issued an orange alert for heavy rain in Ernakulam, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts during the day.
The northeast monsoon set in over Kerala and several other parts of southern India on October 26.
Amid the heavy rainfall, water had been released from the Mullaperiyar dam in Idukki into the Periyar river from Saturday, leading to flooding in the villages along its banks, the newspaper reported.
The water level in the dam stood at 139.15 ft at 7 pm on Sunday, officials told The Hindu. The inflow into the dam was about 9,521 cusecs while the outflow was at around 8,551 cusecs, the officials added.
State Revenue Minister K Rajan urged citizens to exercise caution and avoid driving at night along hilly routes till October 24. The latest spell of intense rain appeared isolated and not widespread, as was the case in 2018 and 2019, he added.
In Idukki’s Kumily, a man identified as 66-year-old Parappallil Thomas alias Thankachan was killed after his two-wheeler got caught under debris amid a landslide near Vellaramkunnu, Onmanorama reported.
Several other areas in Kumily, including Onnam Mile, Atta Palam, Kumily town, Periyar Colony, Chelimala, Valiyakandan and Anavachal, also reported flooding and landslides, The Hindu reported.
In Malappuram district, several roads and about 50 houses were submerged at Vazhikkadavu, Onmanorama reported. Traffic was also disrupted along the Gudalloor-Kozhikode road in the district.
Water levels in the Karakodam, Kalakkad and Athithode rivers in the district rose significantly due to the rain.
On Thursday, the India Meteorological Department had said that the southwest monsoon had withdrawn from the entire country. It added the northeast monsoon had set in over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, south interior Karnataka and Kerala-Mahe.
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