Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 1 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Saturday said the government is fully prepared to tackle rain-related emergencies as heavy rain continued to batter the state, triggering landslides, flash floods and widespread disruption in several districts.
The Chief Minister, in a social media post, said he had spoken to the Revenue Minister, the Chief Secretary and district collectors following reports of landslides and mudslides from different parts of the state.
He said the Revenue Minister would coordinate disaster management operations and had convened a meeting of all district collectors at 11 am to review the situation.
Satheesan said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police and other emergency agencies were fully prepared to handle any eventuality.
The government has also decided to ensure the best possible treatment for those injured and to expedite rehabilitation measures for affected families, he added.
At least three people were killed in separate landslides in Idukki and Kottayam districts on Saturday.
Apart from the fatal incidents, minor landslides were reported from several hilly regions of the state following heavy rain since the early hours of Saturday.
In Pathanamthitta district, the Pampa river overflowed, inundating several parts of Ranni and nearby areas.
Authorities advised people living along the riverbanks to remain vigilant as water levels continued to rise.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast continued heavy rainfall across parts of Kerala, prompting authorities to keep rescue teams on alert.
The weather office issued a red alert for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, warning of extremely heavy rainfall.
An orange alert has been issued for Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts.
In view of the adverse weather conditions, district administrations declared a holiday for educational institutions in several districts on Saturday. PTI TBA TBA ROH
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