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2 days ago
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Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday put the State in emergency disaster preparedness mode, given the heavy rainfall forecast for Kerala in the coming days.
Mr. Vijayan said the intense bouts of heavy rain, concentrated in a limited geographical area, as witnessed in the past in Kerala, accentuated the risk of mudslides, flooding, swollen rivers, flash floods, toppled trees, broken powerlines and tidal surges.
He said people living on riverbanks, localities abutting backwaters, rugged regions, coastal areas, and downstream reservoirs should exercise extreme caution. The government had advised citizens against venturing into waterbodies for fishing, bathing or other purposes.
It had set up control rooms at the panchayat and taluk levels. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority assisted local bodies in establishing disaster warning sirens in vulnerable areas. It also counselled residents’ associations, civil defence force volunteers, and neighbourhood watch units to create WhatsApp groups to share real-time weather and disaster warnings.
He said newspaper agents and rubber tappers, who venture out to work in the early hours, should exercise maximum caution and watch out for broken power lines, reporting them immediately to the local police, Kerala State Electricity Board, and the Fire and Rescue Services department.
Mr. Vijayan urged Local self-government institutions to relocate individuals residing in shanties without secure roofs to relief camps. He advised those living in disaster-prone areas to stay with friends or relatives or seek assistance from the government.
The government had requisitioned the Centre for at least nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams until the monsoon abated. The NDRF units would be deployed in Idukki, Malappuram, Kasaragod, and Thrissur districts.
So far, the government had shifted 1,198 rain-affected citizens to State-run relief camps.
Published - May 29, 2025 09:04 pm IST
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