Water levels in rivers have been steadily increasing, and a large number of houses located in low-lying areas were flooded in the northern Wayanad district, where there has been no respite from heavy rains for the last several days.
In many inundated areas, it could be seen that people were using fibre boats to reach safer places. Hundreds of people, including those from isolated tribal hamlets, were shifted to relief camps, authorities said.
Reports of destruction of houses and loss of crops came from the high ranges of Ernakulam district, especially from the Kothamangalam area.
Huge boulders which fell onto the roads from the hills disrupted traffic for some time in highrange Kallar near Thiruvananthapuram.
The rain situation in the northern district of Kannur was not different, as incidents of mudslides and inundation of low-lying areas were reported from there too.
Earlier in the day, Revenue Minister K Rajan told reporters here that as many as 607 houses have been destroyed across the state due to intense rains. Of them, 21 houses were destroyed completely, he said.
The disruption of power supply for houses triggered people’s protests in many places. TV channels showed a section of people, including women, protesting at an office of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) in Pathanamthitta district.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had sounded a ‘red alert’ in Kozhikode, Kannur and Wayanad districts and an ‘orange alert’ in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kasaragod for Tuesday.
The IMD has forecast heavy (7-11 cm in 24 hours) to very heavy (12-20 cm in 24 hours) rainfall at a few places in Kerala on May 27, and at isolated places from May 28 to 30. Heavy rainfall is also likely at isolated places in Kerala on May 31 and June 1, and in Lakshadweep on May 26.
Strong westerlies are likely to continue at lower tropospheric levels over the Kerala and Lakshadweep region during the next five days, it said. Squally weather with wind speeds of 35 to 50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, is also expected along and off the Kerala coast.
“Fairly widespread to widespread light/moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds speed reaching 40-50 kmph with isolated heavy rainfall likely over Kerala, during 27-30 May,” an IMD statement said.
In view of the rain alerts, the district authorities declared a holiday for educational institutions in Wayanad and Kozhikode.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI and IANS)