Thiruvananthapuram: After pounding Kerala for days, rains abated on Sunday even as the death toll in themonsoon fury mounted to 60 with over 2.27 lakh people being sheltered in relief camps across the state.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a meeting with senior officials on Sunday morning to review the flood situation and later told reporters that the death toll in rain-related incidents since August 8 has touched 60.
About 2.27 lakh people have been shifted to 1,551 relief camps, he said.
Vijayan said even though the rains have subsided in the state, people should remain vigilant.
“There is respite from the rains today in the hills. But we need to be cautious. It’s not easy to escape from landslides,” he added.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for rains for three districts — Kannur, Kasaragod and Wayand.
Vadakara in Kozhikode district recorded 21 cm of rainfall, the highest in the state as of 8.30 AM Sunday, followed by Kodungallur in Thrissur (19.9) and Perinthalmanna in Malappuram (13.8), the IMD said.
Vijayan also said the water level in the major dams was not a cause of worry as of now. The Idukki Dam, one of the biggest in the state, presently had only 36.61 per cent of its capacity, he added.
Rahul arrives in Kerala to review flood situation
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Sunday began his Kerala visit to review situation in his Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency ravaged by floods and landslides.
Accompanied by Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, Gandhi arrived at the Karipur airport near here on Sunday afternoon. He would later visit some rain-hit places in neighbourig Mallapuram district three assembly segments of which form part of Wayanad constituency, party sources said. Gandhi, who won with a record margin from the hill constituency in the April Lok Sabha elections, said during his stay he would visit relief camps across Wayanad and review relief measures with state government officials. “For the next few days I will be based in my Lok Sabha constituency, #Wayanad that has been ravaged by floods. I will be visiting relief camps across Wayanad and reviewing relief measures with District & State officials,” he tweeted. (PTI)
