Heavy rains lash North and Central Kerala, IMD issues orange alert in 12 districts

IMD has issued an orange alert for all districts except Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam

The heavy rains that lashed Kerala for the fifth straight day on May 19 brought stormwater surging into hundreds of homes, bus stations, shops, markets, and offices in low-lying areas.

The situation was particularly fraught in localities abutting canals in Ernakulam and Kozhikode. Rushing water sluiced through ground floors, swamped roads, and entire neighbourhoods.

Flood-hit residents had a tough time carrying their belongings to the upper floors of their homes or nearby higher ground. The spectre of water-borne diseases loomed. The authorities are evacuating people in some flood-prone localities to relief camps.

Cars, two-wheelers, and public transport buses appeared to transform into amphibious vehicles as they punishingly ploughed their way through inundated urban main thoroughfares. The rain upended the rhythms of daily life and caused chaos across the State. Commerce also took a hit.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that rains could intensify in 12 districts. It has issued an orange alert for all districts except Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam (Yellow alert).

Several dams are filling up due to intense rainfall across Kerala. The Peringakuthu and Bhoothanthankettu dams opened their shutters minimally to keep the storage limit within the safety threshold.

Other barriers are likely to lift their shutters incrementally to let water out. The government is closely monitoring water levels downstream as reservoirs shed excess storage. A control room at the government secretariat is taking stock of the situation hourly.