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Kerala has received 84 percent of the rain it was expected to get in the northeast monsoon season in the first 17 days of October, the Revenue Minister's office in Kerala said on Monday, 18 October. The state has been witnessing torrential rainfall, accompanied by flash floods and landslides, since Saturday, 16 October.
Between 1 October and 31 December, Kerala was expected to receive 492 mm of rain. However, between 1 October and 17 October alone, the state has already received 412.2 mm of rain. This means, in just 17 days, Kerala has got 84 percent of the rains it was supposed to get in 92 days.
The districts of Kottayam and Idukki are the worst-hit in the state. Around 223 houses have collapsed in Kottayam district alone.
An orange alert has also been issued for large parts of Kerala from 20-22 October, reported The Times of India (ToI).
Death Toll Rises to 35
Earlier, a two-storey house in Kottayam had collapsed into the gushing river amid heavy rains.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the Kerala floods rose to 35, reported The Times of India. The state has set up 235 relief camps in 14 districts, where 8,906 people are currently placed.
Meanwhile, a red alert was issued in respect of 10 dams in Kerala, namely Kallarkutty (Idukki), Kundala (Idukki), Sholayar (Thrissur), Moozhiyar (Pathanamthitta), Kakki (Pathanamthitta), Irattar (Idukki), Lower Periyar (Idukki), Peringal Kuthu (Thrissur), Ponmudi (Idukki), Pampa (Pathanamthitta), Mattuppetty (Idukki), and blue alert was issued for Idamalayar (Ernakulam), Manorama reported.
Earlier, the water level in the reservoir at the Idukki dam touched 2396.86 ft, reported The Indian Express. The full reservoir level is 2403 ft.
On Facebook, Ernakulam collector Jafar Malik said that the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had conveyed that the water level in the dam is likely to touch the upper rule level of 2398.86 ft by Tuesday morning, 19 October, the daily added.
Earlier, ANI reported that the bodies of all the missing persons had been recovered from Kokkayar of Idukki district, and the search operation was complete.
Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram are some of the districts where heavy rainfall has been predicted from Wednesday, 20 October. A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed in each district.
Earlier, the Kerala government had warned people to be 'extremely cautious' and follow the authorities' instructions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had warned on Sunday, 17 October, that Kerala will get heavy, isolated rainfall for three to four days from 20 October.
(With inputs from ANI, Manorma, The Indian Express and The Times of India.)
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