Leader of Opposition in Kerala VD Satheesan, who visited Kokkayar and Kootikal, alleged that the state government had failed to launch rescue operations in time in the affected areas.
The death toll due to heavy rains in Kerala reached 22 on Sunday as Idukki and Kottayam districts were badly affected. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Center will provide assistance to the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state to deal with the situation.
22 bodies were recovered from various rain-hit areas, 13 from Kottayam district and 9 from Idukki, while NDRF teams continued with the rescue operation. The casualties were caused by landslides and flash floods in the hilly areas of Kottayam and Idukki districts following heavy rains on Saturday, officials said.
In the high-rated Idukki district, which has a travel ban due to inclement weather, District Collector Sheeba George said two persons were still missing. “So far we have recovered nine bodies. Two people are missing,” he said.
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Center assured help
PM Modi called Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan later in the evening and discussed the situation arising out of the rains. “Spoke to the Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri @vijayanpinarayi and discussed the situation in the wake of heavy rains and landslides in Kerala. Officials are working on the ground to assist the injured and affected,” Modi tweeted.
“I pray for everyone’s safety and well being,” he said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Center will provide all possible help to the people of Kerala, who have been affected by heavy rains and floods.
He tweeted that the government is “continuously monitoring the situation in parts of Kerala in view of heavy rains and floods.” State Revenue Minister K Rajan said that an assistance of Rs 4 lakh would be given to the families of those who lost their lives.
Idukki and Kottayam – worst affected districts
The bodies of three children buried in the mud were recovered after rescue efforts at Kokkayar in Idukki, officials said. Children aged eight, seven and four were found holding each other.
Leader of Opposition in Kerala VD Satheesan, who visited Kokkayar and Kootikal, alleged that the state government had failed to launch rescue operations in time in the affected areas.
In Koottical in Kottayam district, a family of six, including three girls aged 14, 12 and 10, were killed as their house was washed away in a landslide.
The bodies of three people were recovered on Saturday and the rest were found by the rescue team today. Many helpless families in upper-class villages were displaced and became prisoners of resettlement camps.
Many elderly villagers said that it was the first time in their lives that they were experiencing such intense rainfall.
Leader of Opposition in Kerala VD Satheesan, who visited Kokkayar and Kootikal, alleged that the state government had failed to launch rescue operations in time in the affected areas.
Flash floods, landslides due to mini cloudburst
Meanwhile, a scientist at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) claimed that brief, intense rains in some areas of Kerala indicated small cloudbursts, a factor that caused casualties, damage and loss of properties.
Citing more than 5 cm of rain in two hours in the worst-affected areas of Idukki and Kottayam districts, S Abhilash of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, CUSAT said it was a “mesoscale mini-cloudburst type event”.
Mini cloud bursts are marked by intense short spells that cannot exceed 10 cm in an hour—a classical definition by the India Meteorological Department.
rescue operation on the way
The Indian Navy said that a helicopter was dispatched in the morning from Naval Air Station, INS Garuda to deliver relief material to the affected people. Helicopters carried out aerial flights to assess the flood and landslide situation for the authorities to plan any land-based search and rescue operations.
“Currently all air assets, rescue teams and naval diving teams are on standby to assist the civil administration at short notice,” a Navy statement said.
The Army said that despite harsh and inclement weather conditions, its personnel reached the affected areas within a few hours of necessity and have been deployed to assist the civil administration in rescue and relief operations.
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“Working late hours, the team was the first to reach the site at Kavali in Kottayam district and has been able to retrieve three bodies from the rubble. The recovery operation became more difficult as the team had to clear the entire landslide only after Had to be cleared. The road has been cleared for the movement of JCBs”, an army release said.
During the recovery process, the army team had saved a large quantity of gold and expensive items, which were immediately handed over to the civil administration for further accountability.
Kottayam: A view of the landslide affected area of Kootikkal in Kottayam district
“The team is working in close coordination with DC, Kottayam and Tehsildar of Kanjirapalli for distribution of essential relief material and ensuring normalcy in the area at the earliest,” it said.
IMD predicts more rain
In its forecast, the India Meteorological Department said that Saturday’s low pressure area over southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Kerala has become less marked and is now being marked as a trough at low levels from South Interior Karnataka to South Tamil Nadu. being seen in
“Under its influence, isolated heavy rainfall is likely to occur over Kerala and Mahe on 17 October 2021 and there will be significant reduction thereafter,” it said.
Thereafter, a fresh round of easterly wave is very likely to affect South Peninsular India from October 20 and isolated heavy rains very likely over Kerala from October 20 onwards and likely to continue for 3-4 days thereafter.
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) said that it has suffered an estimated loss of Rs 13.67 crore due to rains in the state.
“The maximum damage occurred in Pathanamthitta, Pala and Thodupuzha circles. A total of 3,074 distribution transformers stopped working, of which 60 were completely destroyed. 339 high-tension posts were destroyed, 1398 low-tension posts damaged and 4.18 lakh electricity connections were snapped,” KSEB said in a release.
The state higher education department said that all examinations scheduled for tomorrow have been postponed, while classes starting from October 18 have been postponed till October 20.
Culture Minister Saji Cherian said families living in low-lying areas of Chengannur and Kuttanad areas have been shifted to relief camps as the water in Pamba and Achankovil rivers started rising due to heavy rains in the eastern part of the state.
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The Central Water Commission has issued an orange alert for Manimala, Kallada, Achankovil, Neyyar and Karmana rivers in the state.
The IMD has withdrawn the red alert and at present, a yellow alert has been issued for the south-central districts of the state.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said incessant rain continued in Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts. “NDRF teams have been deployed in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram districts. Instructions have been issued to deploy five additional teams in Idukki, Kottayam, Kollam, Kannur and Palakkad districts,” he said. ”
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