Thiruvananthapuram | KSDMA member Secretary Sekhar Lukose Kuriakose on Saturday said exceptionally heavy rainfall lashed central Kerala, triggering landslides, mudslides and flooding across several districts.
Four people have died in separate landslides in Idukki and Kottayam districts, while severe flooding was reported in parts of Pathanamthitta district.
Speaking to reporters here, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) member secretary said the worst-affected belt stretched from Pathanamthitta through Kottayam to Idukki and up to the Ernakulam border.
"As of this morning, the major impact has been reported from the Pathanamthitta-Kottayam-Idukki belt extending up to the Ernakulam border. Vadasserikkara recorded about 302 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hours, while Lahai received nearly 260 mm. This was an exceptionally heavy spell of rain," he said.
Kuriakose said the heavy rainfall had triggered several mudslides and the collapse of slopes behind houses, but timely warnings had enabled many residents to move to safer places.
"We had repeatedly warned that very heavy rain was expected. Many people acted on those warnings and shifted to safer locations in advance. That helped reduce the impact in several places," he said.
Kuriakose said the KSDMA had issued alerts through multiple channels, including SMS messages, local warning systems and the Centre's Sachet mobile application.
"People should continue to pay attention to official warnings. Those who have not installed the Sachet app should do so, as it provides location-specific alerts," he said.
Kuriakose said runoff from the heavy rain was expected to raise water levels in downstream rivers over the next few hours and authorities in vulnerable areas had already been alerted.
"The runoff from the high ranges will reach downstream areas over the next one to two hours. District administrations, including those in the Kuttanad region, have already been alerted and are prepared," he said.
He said rainfall was expected to ease gradually in the southern districts during the day, although strong winds and adverse weather conditions were likely to continue in parts of northern Kerala.
"Rainfall has started decreasing in the south, and water levels are beginning to recede. However, coastal areas in the northern districts may continue to experience strong winds and rough weather," he added.
