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Kerala floods: Kochi airport shut till August 18, red alert issued

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Kochi - Torrential rains, overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have claimed 45 lives in Kerala.

Published: Wed 15 Aug 2018, 6:47 AM

Updated: Wed 12 Oct 2022, 4:55 PM

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  • PTI

Heavy rains again hit Kerala on Wednesday killing four more people and taking the death toll to 45 since August 8.

It has been raining heavily in several parts of the state since Tuesday evening. The authorities were forced to open 33 dams across Kerala.

Read here: UAE airlines suspend flights to Kochi

A person died in a Munnar lodge as it crashed. A 70-year-old woman in Ranni near Pathanamthitta was electrocuted as her house was submerged.

The Idukki dam floodgates were reopened late on Tuesday as the water level in the Periyar river and its tributaries flowing through Ernakulam and Thrissur districts rose menacingly.

Following flooding in and around the Cochin International Airport, all flights were cancelled till August 18.

The decision to suspend the operations was taken after shutters of the Idamalayar and Cheruthoni dams, part of Idukki reservoir, were opened last evening to release excess water.

The airport is situated near the Periyar river bank.

"Operations suspended to/from Cochin International Airport till 1400 hrs...due to flood level in and around Airport," an airport spokesperson said this morning.

The authorities took the decision to shut the airport till afternoon after reviewing the situation. The arrival operations at the airport were suspended for two hours on August 9 in view of possible inundation in the airport area. The operations were resumed later on.

Torrential rains, overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have claimed 40 lives in Kerala. The Met has forecast more rains till Saturday.

Authorities are maintaining a close vigil especially in Idukki district as the shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam were also opened at 2.35 am after its water-level crossed 140 feet.

People living in and around the dam were evacuated late on Tuesday. Leaves of all revenue department officials have been cancelled, authorities said.

Evacuation of 5,000 persons begins

With increased water flow into the Idamalayar and Idukki dams in Kerala late Tuesday night due to incessant rains, authorities began to evacuate about 5,000 persons living in and around the two reservoirs, a police official said.

He told the media that the decision was taken after heavy rains led to rise in Mullaperiyar dam water level.

"We have already asked people to move out, especially those living between Mullaperiyar and Idukki dams. The aged and the sick are being moved by government officials," the official added.

According to authorities, water level in Mullaperiyar dam was 138 feet on Tuesday night. If its shutters are opened, the water will flow to the Idukki dam, where water level stands at 2,397.42 feet.

Rains in Idukki yet again on Tuesday increased water inflow into the Idukki dam, forcing authorities in the night to open two of the five sluices shut down on Monday.

The Idukki dam was discharging 7.50 lakh litres of water per second, causing worry to authorities as more water in the Periyar river and its tributaries could lead to flooding of parts of Ernakulam and Thrissur districts, as was seen in the past week.

Rains hit hard Kerala yet again

Heavy rains lashed Kerala's Kozhikode, Malappuram and Wayanad districts, triggering fresh landslides and adding to the woes of a state battling the worst flooding in 94 years.

Landslides were reported at two locations close to Thamarassery in Kozhikode, forcing authorities to restrict vehicular traffic between the northern districts of Kozhikode and Wayanad.

Similar reports came from Munnar, the famed hill station in Idukki district where the movement of vehicles on the main road from downtown Adimali has been limited to buses. Heavy rains have flooded the houses of those working in tea estates in Old Munnar town.

In Malappuram district, rains pushed up the water level in the Chaliyar river, forcing families living along its banks to shift to relief camps.

Unprecedented rains and flooding - the worst since 1924 - have left at least 40 people dead and thousands in relief camps. Many moaned that they had lost virtually all their possessions after surging waters swept away whatever they possessed.

Wayanad, which has also been witnessing heavy rains, faced trouble again as the Banasurasagar Dam sluice gates were raised further.

Palakkad, which borders Tamil Nadu, also received more rains, aggravating the already flooded parts of the district. The situation worsened following the opening of the sluice gates of the Chulliyar Dam on Tuesday.

"I have lost whatever I had. I am a labourer and I am stuck at a relief camp. I went and saw my home... Water is still there, so I returned to the camp," said a man holed up in a camp in Palakkad.

Parts of Kannur district bordering Wayanad, especially the hilly terrains, was battered by torrential downpour on Tuesday.

Officials said the situation remained grim in Kasargode district as some of the rivers were in spate.

In all the flood-affected districts, the authorities had been trying to send people back to their homes from the relief camps. But following the fresh rains, they have asked them to stay back for now.

Around 25,000 people in four districts are in relief camps. Power Minister M.M. Mani told the media here that the government was fully geared to help those who had been displaced.

With rains showing no signs of stopping, the Idukki dam again saw its water level rising. It crossed the 2,397 feet mark. So was the water level at the Mullaperiyar Dam, where it crossed 136 feet mark.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the media that Kerala was passing through one of its worst times and urged the people to cooperate with the government in bringing relief to the suffering.

"Those who wish to contribute in kind should get in touch with the district authorities to find out what are the requirements," he said.

The Chief Minister also announced that state-sponsored Onam celebrations would be axed and the money meant for the festivities would be diverted for relief and rehabilitation.

Rains which started on August 8 are said to have caused the worst damage to Kerala since 1924. Over 50,000 people are in relief camps and the damages to crops and properties is estimated to be over Rs 8,000 crore.



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