The southwestern monsoon rains weakened in several parts of Kerala on Tuesday bringing some relief to the people after four days of heavy downpour and strong winds which led to the death of 21 persons including six children and loss crop and property worth several crores of rupees.
However, heavy downpour continued in some parts of the State on Tuesday also. Heavy rains that had started on Tuesday morning caused landslides in two places in the Anakkampoyil region of Kozhikode district towards late evening forcing rescue workers to shift about 30 families to safer places. The landslide occurred in the Thenpara forest near Anakkampoyil.
Though the intensity of rains subsided a bit on Tuesday in the eastern parts of Pathanamthitta district, flooding was reported from the low-lying areas in the west of the district forcing Revenue authorities to shift several families to relief camps. Dozens of houses remained flooded in the western parts of Pathanamthitta district.
All educational institutions except professional colleges in Idukki, one of the two worst-affected districts, and Kottayam districts were given a holiday on Tuesday owing to the weather condition. Educational institutions remained closed in Ranni and Mallappally Taluks in Pathanamthitta district and Attapadi in Palakkad district also remained closed on Tuesday.
The India Meteorological Department has warned fishermen against venturing into sea till Thursday as strong winds with speeds between 40KMPH and 50KMPH may lash the Kerala coast even as several fishing hamlets continued to face the fury of the sea as houses were flooded due to swell waves.
Authorities have issued warning to the people living on the banks of River Periyar in central Kerala as shutters of several dams in Idukki district could be opened due to rising water levels.
Reports from Thiruvananthapuram said that people living on the banks of three rivers were issued warning as the water level in Neyyar dam was inching towards the maximum level.
At least 21 persons, including six children, died in rain-related incidents in the State since monsoon activity intensified in the State on Friday. In a gruesome accident on Monday, two four-year-old children of a play school at Maradu, Kochi and their 38-year-old Ayah were killed when their school bus skidded off the road and fell into a temple pond.