Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan directs officials to take `extreme caution` as IMD predicts heavy rains in southern districts

New Delhi: As the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for six districts of Kerala for Saturday (November 13, 2021), Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that heavy rains were expected in the southern districts of Kerala including Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. The Kerala CM also directed officials to take extreme caution in river banks, hilly areas and in tourist places.

"As part of westerly winds getting stronger, heavy rains are expected in southern districts of Kerala including Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam," CM Vijayan said in a statement.

Kerala CM further directed the authorities to take extreme caution in river banks and hilly areas in view of the expected heavy rainfall.

"Emergency relief camps will be set up in landslide and flood-prone areas. Also, I have directed to take extreme caution in river banks, hilly areas, and in tourist places as heavy rainfall is expected in the coming hours," CM Vijayan stated.

Meanwhile, according to reports by the weather department, a new low pressure in the Andaman Sea over the Bay of Bengal is likely to form in the next 12 hours, and is expected to reach the Bay of Bengal by November 15 and gain strength as a severe low pressure.

Isolated heavy showers are expected in Kerala for the next two days. In addition, the Central Meteorological department has forecast normal rainfall over the next two weeks (November 12-25), especially in central and southern Kerala.

On the other hand, the Central Meteorological Department issued an orange alert in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Idukki districts and a yellow alert in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts on Saturday. 

Orange alert issued in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Idukki districts and a yellow alert in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts for Sunday.

CM Vijayan in his statement also said that in the wake of the orange and yellow alerts issued by IMD and considering the possibility of isolated thundershowers in the hilly areas, more caution is needed in hilly areas and the places where heavy rainfall is received in the last few days.

Earlier in the day, incessant rains caused landslides between sections of Neyyatinkara and Parassala and between sections of Eraniel and Kulithurai. Waterlogging was also reported between Nagercoil Junction and Kanniyakumari section. In view of safety, two trains were fully cancelled fully while 10 were partially cancelled in the region. 

(With agency inputs)