The flood situation in Kerala further worsened with many areas inundated and flight operations suspended till August 18 at Kochi airport. The toll rose to 67 with rain fury claiming 24 lives on August 15 alone. Officials said a red alert has been sounded in all the 14 districts of the State.
From Kasaragod in the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south, all rivers are in spate and shutters of 35 dams, including Mullaperiyar, have been opened.
Eleven deaths were reported from Malappuram alone, officials said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said said the heavy rains would continue for some more days, which will further worsen the situation. More than 1.5 lakh people have been lodged in relief across the State, he said. A government release said Mr. Vijayan spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the grave situation the State was facing following the rains.
Here are the important updates from August 15. Updates from August 16 available here .
Kochi Metro to operate trains
Kochi Metro will operate services as usual on August 16 despite flooding of the Muttom yard and a few metro station premises, a KMRL spokesperson said.
“KMRL is closely monitoring the flood situation at Muttom. If the water level continues to go up, we may be forced to suspend our operations. The source of power is also becoming an issue because Kaloor 110kv substation has been shut down by KSEB at 10.29 p.m. Muttom depot is already surrounded by water and the road access to the depot has been cut off,” KMRL said.
Meanwhile, train services from Thrissur to Ernakulam have been suspended due to rising water level of Periyar at Aluva bridge. The trains in the opposite direction won't face any problem.
Red alert extended to all districts as toll mounts to 67
Mr. Vijayan tweets: “A high alert situation continues in Kerala, the death toll has climbed to 67 and currently about 1.5 lakh people have been moved to 1067 relief camps across the State.
“...The State is taking all possible efforts to tackle the situation. In the morning, red alert was iissued for 12 out of the 14 districts, but by evening, it was extended to all districts in the State.”
T.N. declines Kerala’s request to lower Mullaperiyar level
Tamil Nadu has declined Kerala's request to lower water level in Mullaperiyar dam. Citing Supreme Court orders, Tamil Nadu said the entire inflow will be discharged, but the level will maintained at 142 ft.
In response to reports of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s letter to his Tamil Nadu counterpart Edappadi K. Palaniswami, requesting him to lower the level up to 139 ft, a senior official of the State government in Chennai said that the “entire inflow” would be discharged and the water level maintained at 142 ft. The position was said to have been conveyed by the Principal Secretary (Public Works) S. K. Prabakar to his counterpart.
Mullaperiyar dam @ 8 pm
Water level : 142 ft (maximum capacity); storage: 12,758 mcft; inflow: 25,671 cusecs; discharge: 2,178 cusecs; surplus: 23,493 cusecs.
12 shutters of the dam have been raised to 6 ft by 7.30 pm.
Ramamurthy Mandapam under water
Police have confirmed that the P.C. Ramamurthy Mandapam is submerged under the flood waters of the Pampa in spate.
Four tractors too have been washed away in the strong currents.
As many as 13 persons are stranded on the first floor of the Annadana Mandapam at the badly flooded Pampa Manalpuram in the foothills of Sabarimala.
Google Maps image locates the P.C. Ramamurthy Mandapam on the banks of the Pampa.
As many as 24 persons were killed in various rain-related incidents on Wednesday, taking the toll in the latest recent monsoon spell to 64 since August 8.
The break- up of the casualties in various districts is as follows:
Thiruvananthapuram- 7
Kollam- 1
Pathanamthitta- 2
Alappuzha- 3
Idukki- 16
Ernakulam- 2
Thrissur- 3
Palakkad- 3
Malappuram- 17
Kozhikode- 3
Wayanad- 4
Kannur- 3
Flood waters have reached the doorsteps of the Parthasarathy temple at Aranmula.
Eleven of the 18 steps leading to the temple situated on an elevated plane have already submerged.
The 12-km Puthenkavu-Thekkemala stretch of the Chengannur-Kozhencherry State Highway has been heavily flooded, disrupting vehicular traffic from Wednesday forenoon.
People seek help through social media
The social media is flooded with distress calls from people who have been stranded in the flood-hit areas of Ranni, Kozhencherry, Aranmula and surrounding areas.
A youth from Ranni-Thottamon, Jeffy Jacob, has made a distress call on the Facebook, seeking help to move out of his heavily flooded home. His family, including his 90-year old grandfather, have sought refuge on the first floor of the house. The ground floor has been inundated.
As many as 38 families are reportedly stranded in Kozhencherry.
A four-member family sought help to move out of their flooded house near the Aranmula temple.
Helicopter is being pressed into service for rescue operation in Ranni where as many as 300 families have been stranded.
Fire Force has launched two boats in Aranmula for rescue operations.
Kerala CM speaks to TN counterpart
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami and urged him to take steps to draw more water from the Mullaperiyar dam so that the water level of the dam could be kept at 139 ft.
The Chief Minister also called on Governor P. Sathasivam and apprised him about the flood situation and the steps being taken by the State government to rescue people in distress and provide relief to the flood-hit.
Mr. Vijayan also spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to extend greater support to the State to manage the grave situation arising from the floods.
Trains diverted
Train services have been stopped at the Punalur-Sengottai line after a landslip damaged the stretch near Kazhuruti three-puller bridge in Kollam. The railways hopes to resume services in three days.
Due to land slip between Kuzhithurai and Eraniel in the Thiruvananthapuram–Nagercoil section the following changes are made in train services.
The Punalur-Sengottai railway stretch is damaged at Kazhuruti three-puller bridge in Kollam.
1. Train No.16724 Kollam - Chennai Egmore Ananthapuri express scheduled to leave Kollam on 15.08.2018 will be partially cancelled between Kollam and Nagercoil.
2. Train No.22628 Thiruvananthapuram – Tiruchchirappalli Intercity express scheduled to leave Thiruvananathapuram on 15.08.2018 will be partially cancelled between Thiruvananthapuram and Nagercoil.
3. Train No.16382 Kanniyakumari – Mumbai express scheduled to leave Kanniyakumari on 15.08.2018 will be diverted to run via. Tirunelveli, Madurai, Dindigul and Erode.
Schools, colleges closed; exams postponed
District Collector Amit Meena declared a holiday for all educational institutions in Malappuram , including professional colleges, on Thursday.
In Ernakulam too, a holiday has been declared for all educational institutions including professional colleges on August 16 and 17.
Thiruvananthapuram District Collector has declared holiday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges, in the district on Thursday.
Thrissur District Collector has declared holiday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges, on Thursday.
Kerala University of Health Sciences has postponed all theory examinations scheduled for August 16 and 17. New dates will be informed later. There is no change in practical examinations, according to the KUHS sources.
All examinations of the University of Kerala scheduled for August 16 and 17 have been postponed. New date will be announced later.
A scene from Sugandhagiri in Wayanad hit hard by incessant rain and landslides.
Wayanad district collector A.R.Ajayakumar declared a holiday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges in the district on Thursday owing. to the heavy rain.
Army on standby in Thiruvananthapuram
As many as 73 Army men and officers of the 13th Garhwal Rifles are on the standby at the Military Station, Pangode, here to deploy as the flood situation in the capital appears to worsen by the minute.
Three fishermen missing
Three fishermen from Vypeen near Kochi are reported missing after their boat sank in the rough sea about 14 nautical miles off the coast of Arthunkal in Alappuzha district. There were seven fishermen on board when the boat was returning after four days of fishing, reliable sources said. Four of them were saved. They have been airlifted to Kochi for medical treatment. The missing persons have been named as Vincent, Baby and Basheer.
Eight more killed in Malappuram
Soldiers rescue women and children from HIL colony in Eloor, Ernakulam District on Wednesday.
Eight persons were buried alive in a fresh landslip at Peringavu near Vazhayur in Malappuram district on Wednesday afternoon.
The victims could not be immediately identified.
Earlier in the day, three members of a family were buried alive when their house caved in under a landslip at Kaithakunda near Pulikkal early this morning.
The district witnessed 11 rain-related deaths on Wednesday alone.
One dead in Kozhikode, over 7000 sheltered in relief camps
One person reportedly drowned in floods at Kodiyathur in Kozhikode district on Wednesday. The victim has been identified as Abdul Rahiman, aged 64.
While rains continue to pour in the district, over 7,000 people have been shifted to about 70 relief camps so far.
Vehicular movement has been banned on the Kittiyadi Ghat road, an alternative route that links Kozhikode with Wayanad.
The shutters of the already opened Kakkayam dam will be raised to three feet if the rains continue, officials said. Since this is likely to flood the Kuttiyadi river, the district administration has cautioned people residing in the vicinity.
A column of 13 Garhwal Rifles led by Capt. Rishav Jamwal rescued 23 people from the HIL colony in Eloor, Ernakulam District. The soldiers ingeniously used modified tubes and utensils to rescue women and children from the area inundated due to floods.
Sabarimala Tantri stranded at Pullumedu, can’t attend Niraputhari fete today
A large number of pilgrims who reached Pampa to attend Wednesday’s Niraputhari celebrations at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple could not proceed to the holy hillock owing to the swollen Pampa river.
The police blocked the pilgrims on the western bank of the Pampa on the directions of the district administration, as crossing the river involved high risks.
Meanwhile, temple chief priest (Tantri) Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) executive officer D. Sudheeshkumar, and other board staff who were diverted to Sabarimala via the Vallakkadavu-Pullumedu route got stranded at Pullumedu in the interior forests as they failed to reach the grasslands before sunset.
Keep off Sabarimala for Niraputhari, TDB to pilgrims
The Pampa Manalpuram on the foothills of Sabarimala has been once again flooded, with the Kerala State Electricity Board releasing more water from the Pampa and Kakki reservoirs of the Sabarigiri hydroelectric project on Monday.
The base camp of Pampa, especially the bathing ghats and the Pampa Manalpuram that house toilet complexes, hotels, and shops, has been damaged in the floods. The Travancore Devaswom Board has cautioned pilgrims against crossing the swollen river.
In a statement on Monday, the TDB appealed to the pilgrims to avoid their trip to Sabarimala for Wednesday’s Niraputhari fete in view of the flood situation in the Pampa. The pilgrims will have to brave strong currents in the heavily flooded river to reach the Sannidhanam.
Both the bridges across the Pampa have been inundated, isolating the Pampa Manalpuram from the mainland.
TDB president A.Padmakumar advised the pilgrims against undertaking the pilgrimage till the floodwaters receded.
Tourist spots closed
1. Destinations of Athirappilly, Vazhachal & Thumboormoozhi Garden will remain closed till orders by DFO/DMC.
2. Peechi dam closed to tourists from today afternoon till further orders from Irrigation Department/DMC.
3. Snehatheeram Beach Park has been closed for two days due to rough seawaves.
4. Vilangankunnu closed from today afternoon due to possibilities of landslip & uprooting of trees.
5. Poomala dam boating has been stopped till stoppage of rain.
Bus services halted
Bus services along Angamaly-Kanakkan Kadavu- Puthenvelikkara, Angamaly-Mala, Aluva-Kanakkankadavu-Puthenvelikkara and Aluva-Mala routes halted after roads were submerged in the flood.
Pathanamthitta district on 'red alert'
A husband and wife in their 50s are reportedly missing following a landslide occured at Valiyakulangara Valley near Chittar in Pathanamthitta district.
Water level is steadily on the rise in the Pampa, Achenkovil and Manimala rivers as incessant rains continue to pound the district from Tuesday afternoon.
District administration has declared 'red alert' in the district in view of the highly alarming flood situation.
KMRL cancels Onam celebrations
KMRL has cancelled the Onam celebrations which was planned on August 17. All KMRL employees will donate one day salary to CMDRF and will also keep boxes in stations to collect contribution from the public for providing materials for flood relief (from August 17 onwards )
Water supply from Aluva
Transformer at the Aluva pump house switched off as the Periyar water has seeped into the pump house. Production of drinking water lowered by about 20 per cent right now. Alternate power supply arrangemets were done by the KWA officials with old lines.
Production likely to be cut by 50 per cent as water level in the river is rising that would affect the filter beds in the pump house.
Two flights bound for Kochi land in Thiruvananthapuram
Two flights of Air India Express from Doha and Shajah bound for Kochi has landed in Thiruvananthapuram international airport.
Complaint against WhatsApp users in Palakkad
Meanwhile, in Palakkad district, the administration has lodged a police complaint against a set of unidentified WhatsApp users who spread false information that the Collector had declared holidays for all educational institutions in the district on Thursday and Friday keeping in view the existing flood situation.
The false message circulated widely had said the continuing holidays for two days would help children recover from the trauma and depression caused by the incessant rains.
Water supply affected in Aluva
Except Aluva water treatment plant, most other smaller water schemes alongside the Periyar have been submerged.
Aluva pump house is the main water treatment plant that provides 275 million litres a day (MLD) to Kochi city and most of the surrounding municipalities and some panchayats.
A total of 30 mld is the total production of the smaller schemes that provide water in the rural areas. Of these, Muppathadam scheme producing between 15-20 mld and Vazhakkulam-Kizhakambalam (8mld) are the bigger ones.
The rest are Vengoor, Okkal Malayattor, Neeleeswarm, Parakkadavu and Puthenvelikkaraschemes that produce 0.50 mld up to 4 mld.
Kanjirapuzha Dam shutters to be opened
River sluices shutters of Kanjirapuzha Dam in Palakkad district will be opened to the maximum discharge on Wednesday. Excess water would be discharged through Bharathapuzha's feeders Kanjirapuzha, Thootha and Karimpuzha. Those living close to the river and it's feeders are advised to keep extreme vigil.
How to donate towards Kerala flood relief efforts:
Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) accepts voluntary contributions from Individuals, Organizations, Trusts, Companies and Institutions etc. All contributions towards CMDRF are exempt from Income Tax under section 80(G).
Donations now accepted through UPI mobile app like BHIM, paytm, Tez, Phonepe also. (VPA : keralacmdrf@sbi) / Scan the QR Code to donate
For Bank Counter Payment
Beneficiary Name : Principal Secretary (Fin), Treasurer CMDRF
Bank Name : State Bank of India (SBI)
Account Number : 67319948232
Branch : City Branch, Thiruvananthapuram
IFSC : SBIN0070028
For offline Contribution
Cheque/Demand Draft can be drawn in the favour of Principal Secretary (Finance), Treasurer CMDRF, payable at Thiruvananthapuram. The same may be posted/mailed to the following address:
Principal Secretary (Finance)
Treasurer CMDRF
Secretariat
Thiruvananthapuram – 695 001
Kerala, INDIA
For effective collaboration and communications between authorities, volunteers and public, the following website has been created http://keralarescue.in/
(Information provided by the Chief Minister's Office, Kerala)
Emergency numbers:
Ernakulam: 0484-2423513, 7902200300, 7902200400
Idukki: 0486-2233111, 9061566111, 9383463036
Thrissur: 0487-2362424, 9447074424
(As provided by CMO Kerala)
Water level in Mullaperiyar dam touches 142 feet after 32 months
For third time since July 2014 when water level in Mullaperiyar dam was restored to 142 feet, the level in the reservoir has touched 142 feet at 12.50 p.m. on Wednesday.
The entire inflow of 8,600 cusecs is being discharged into Kerala side through the surplus vents, according to Public Works Department Executive Engineer, T. Subramanian. Periyar dam has 7,666 mcft of storage.
On previous two occasions, the water level has touched the maximum permissible level of 142 feet in November 2014 and December 2015.
Tamil Nadu is drawing 2,187 cusecs of water through the tunnel for irrigating the ayacut in Cumbum valley in Theni district and also to replenish Vaigai dam. The level in Vaigai dam stood at 62.27 feet (71 feet).
Congress leader evacuated from his house
Water resources Department has banned entry of tourists into the Peechi Dam area in Thrissur till further notice in view of the higher volume of water being released.
Meanwhile, Congress leader V.M.Sudheeran evacuated from his residence at Gowreesapattom in Thiruvananthapuram.
Train services through Nagercoil-Thiruvanananthapuram disrupted following landslip
Killi river overflow at bund road in Thiruvananthapuram following the heavy rain on Wednesday.
Train services through the Nagercoil-Thiruvanananthapuram section have been disrupted following a landslip between Kuzhithurai and Eraniel stations.
Trains 16128 Guruvayur-Chennai-Egmore Express, 16382 Kanniyakumari-Mumbai CSMT Express, 15906 Dibrugarh-Kanniyakumari Vivek Express and 19424 Gandhidham-Tirunelveli Humsafar Express are delayed owing to the landslip.
Trains 56318 Nagercoil-Kochuveli passenger and 56317 Kochuveli-Nagercoil passenger have been cancelled.
Haj flight waiting in Thiruvananthapuram
Operations of a Haj flight from Kerala has been affected by the closing of Cochin International Airport. An aircraft of Saudi Airlines meant to ferry the pilgrims from Cochin airport has landed in Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and is waiting the decision of authorities.
Breaking the boundary wall of Cochin International Airport Limited to facilitate the outflow of water
The Cochin International Airport authorities have expressed doubts if the airport operations can resume Saturday afternoon as water level continued to rise on Wednesday. Workmen are now engaged in breaking down a portion of the compound wall to let out rising water even as three heavy duty motors are being used to pump out water. The airport operations area, including the runways, are under three to four feet water. The western compound wall has prevented free outflow of water and that is being broken down partially. All airport operations have been suspended, according to an earlier notification till 2 pm on Saturday.
Water released from Idukki to be increased
KSEB is proposing that water be released gradually from the Idukki reservoir keeping in mind the weather conditions and the release of water from Mullaperiyar Dam. According to the proposal, at 11 a.m. the water released from the Idukki reservoir would be increased by 200 cumecs to 1200 cumecs, and 100 cumecs each every hour until it reaches 1500 cumecs at 2 p.m.
Idukki, Ernakulam and Kottayam District Collectors have been notified of this plan and have been requested to take required precautionary measures.
Red alert in Kanjoor panchayat, Ernakulam
Red alert has been declared at Kanjoor panchayat near Kalady in Ernakulam district after almost 90% of the panchayat was submerged. About 1300 people have already been registered at relief camps at Kanjoor and Chengal by now. With water level still on the rise, more people are expected to be shifted to the camps.
An all-party meeting was held at Kanjoor panchayat in the wake of the grim situation.
An entire village evacuated in Kozhikode
All the residents of Kannappankundu village in Kerala’s Kozhikode district have been evacuated following Tuesday’s landslips as heavy rains continued on Wednesday mid-morning up in the hills and strong run-offs are feared.
The National Disaster Relief Force with extensive support from local NGOs and individual volunteers helped people relocate to safer areas and relief camps. Two dozen houses have been totally destroyed while several others have suffered extensive damage. Almost all roads in the village, which is part of Puthuppaddi panchayat, some 45 km from Kozhikode city, have been washed off.
Road transportation between Kozhikode and Bengaluru bhad been cut because of road flooding at several stretches along the route. Transportation between Kozhikode and Wayanad too is cut.
Mullaperiyar set to touch the full reservoir level
Mullaperiyar is set to touch the full reservoir level of 142 ft, following which more inflow to the Idukki, and hence Periyar river, is expected. Combined with the water released from the Idamalayar, the water level is expected to rise alarmingly in the Periyar river along Aluva taluk. Revenue authorities are opening 16 fresh camps to cope with it.
Situation especially bad at Aluva west and Chengamanad Thuruth.
Rescue ops in progress in cut-off Pizhala island
The Pizhala island in Kochi remains cut off, and water around it has gone up, submerging some parts. A naval team is surveying the island and carrying out rescue.
At Perumbavoor, three diving teams are conducting operations in a nearby village — Machipattanam — where people are stranded. A total of 45 people have been shifted to safety so far.
Heavy inundation in the unbuilt land close to Technopark Phase Two Campus (the twin building to the right) in Thiruvananthapuram
3 of family buried alive in Malappuram
Three members of a family were buried alive when their house caved in under a landslip at Kaithakkunda near Pulikkal in Malappuram district in the early hours of Wednesday.
Azeez, 42, wife Suneera, 35, and son Ubaid, 6, were killed while sleeping around 1.30 a.m. Their house collapsed on them under the weight of the mud and soil that covered the house. Their elder sons Uwais, 19, and Unais, 17, who were sleeping in another room, escaped with injuries.
Rescue workers had to struggle to take out the bodies of the victims and to shift the injured siblings to hospital. There were fears of fresh landslips even as the rescue continued with caution.
Discharge from Idamalayar reservoir increased
Heavy inflow has forced KSEB authorities to increase the discharge of water from Idamalayar reservoir to 700 cumecs.
The water level in the dam continues to be over the full reservoir limit of 169 metre. At 10 a.m., the water level was recorded at 169.21 metre. Shutters one and four remain opened by one metre and two and three by 2.50 metres.
Cochin airport to remain shut till Saturday
Cochin International Airport Ltd said in a statement that the airport operations will remain suspended till Saturday, August 18 2 p.m. since the inflow of water is still on a raising trend.
"We are working hard to drain out the storm water," said a communication from the airport.
Emergency control room number: 0484 3053500, 2610094
4 rescued from a fishing vessal in Kochi
A Naval helicopter rescued four crew members of a fishing vessel, Anugraha, which began sinking 12 nautical miles northwest of Alappuzha earlier. The search continues for four other crew members.
The Navy has diverted INS Kalpeni to the area. A helicopter, which was deployed for the search and rescue operation, has brought back the four crew members to the Naval base, where they are being medically examined.
Pictures of the rescued fishermen of boat Anugraha on board the Naval helicopter
A Dornier aircraft is also involved in the operation, said Naval authorities.
The four rescued crew members Suresh, Sivan, Babu and Alby, are from Vypeen, near Kochi.
Neyyar dam shutters raised by over 30 cm
For the first time in over two decades, the shutters of the Neyyar dam in Thiruvananthapuram has been raised by 12 inches (30.48 cm).
The copious rainfall received in its catchment areas during the last night has necessitated further opening of the shutters. Sources said that the shutters were opened to the particular level for the first time since 1994.
While the maximum capacity of the dam is 84.75 m, the water has risen to a level of 84.6 m.
The shutters of the Aruvikkara dam in Thiruvananthapuram have also been raised owing to the overnight rain. Among its six shutters, shutters number 2, 4 and 5 have been raised by 150 cm and shutters number 1 and 6 by 50 cm.
Three of the four shutters of the Peppara dam in the district have also been raised by 50 cm each.
'Red Alert' in multiple districts
The Met Department has issued a 'Red Alert' (heavy to very heavy rainfall in most places) for Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod, Malappuram, Palakkad, Idukki and Ernakulam dstricts till Thursday, August 16.
A 45 days old infant being rescued by soldiers of 19th battalion Madras Regiment. The infant and its mother have been shifted from their partially submerged house to a relief camp in Manjaly, Ernakulam
A 'Red Alert' is already in place for whole of today for Alappuzha, Thrissur, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.
The Met Department has also issued an 'Orange Alert' (heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated places) for Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam Districts till Thursday.
CM's Independence Day greetings
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to social media to extend his Independence day greetings.
Independence Day is a "celebration of the memory of a great struggle," he wrote, adding that he hoped that the D ay "will be a source of hope for the people of Kerala who are battling an unprecedented floods."
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reviewing the flood situation at the government secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram
Traffic disrupted along Kozhikode -Kollegal highway
Kozhikode -Kollegal NH 766 has been flooded at Thakarrapady and Ponkuzhi near Muthanga in the district on the Kerala-Karnataka border on Wednesday morning . Vehicular movement has been blocked at Muthanga with the assistance of Police. District administration has intimated the Karnataka forest officials to block the traffic at Madhur in Karnataka. Police is camping at the site.
Meanwhile, road links between Pattambi and Thrissur remains completely severed with Bharathapuzha flowing above the mega bridge in Pattambi.
Water level in Mullaiperiyar likely to touch maximum permissible level
Gushing inflow is forcing water level in Mullaperiyar dam to increase rapidly, as on Wednesday. The level is likely to touch the maximum permissible level of 142 feet by noon after which more water would be discharged into the Kerala side, according to Tamil Nadu Public Works Department.
Tamil Nadu PWD issued the first flood warning to Kerala at 2.30 a.m. on Wednesday as and when the level touched 140 feet. As a precautionary measure 4,489 cusecs of water was released.
“The inflow had swelled and we had to start the release early to avoid rush flow into the Mullaperiyar river (to Kerala side). Hence, we started to discharge water with a plan to gradually increase it,” said Executive Engineer of Periyar-Vaigai Basin Circle, T. Subramanian.
Kochi airport suspends operations
Cochin International Airport operations suspended to/from till 2 p.m. due to flood level in and around the airport. Heavy water pumps have been put in service to contain the situation.
Meanwhile, Aluva, on the banks of river Periyar, is seeing water level rise once again after heavy overnight rain. The iconic Shiva temple looks almost submerged Wednesday morning. The district administration has started evacuation of flood affected people at several places in Ernakulam.
Scenes from the evacuation of flood affected people in Ernakulam.
5 dead in Kerala
Rain-related deaths have been reported from Munnar, where a Tamil Nadu native was found dead when the lodge in which he was staying collapsed. In a similar incident in Malappuram, husband and wife at Kaithakkund at Kondotty died when a massive mound of earth fell on their house around 1 am. Search is on for their six-year old son. Thresia in Ranni in Pathanamthitta and Ravindran, a fisher at Valappad, also lost their lives in rain-related incidents since last evening.
Heavy rain accompanied with gusty winds, with speed reaching 60 kmph has been forecast for in all districts of Kerala over the coming three hours by the Met Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.
Water discharge from Cheruthoni dam increased
The water discharge from Cheruthoni dam of Idukki reservoir was increased to 1,000 cumecs. It was due to high inflow and in consideration of likely opening of Mullaperiyar dam which crossed 140.5 ft at 6.30 am on Wednesday. The maximum level of Mullaperiyar dam is 142 ft.
