Heavy rains continue to lash Kerala; IMD issues red alert for one district
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 22: As heavy rains continued to lash several parts of Kerala, the India Meteorological Department on Wednesday issued a red alert for Pathanamthitta district of the state.
In view of the risk of natural disasters due to the heavy rains, Pathanamthitta Collector A Shibu prohibited night travel and tourist activities in the hilly areas of the district from November 22 to 24.
In an order issued by the Collector, travel to hilly areas of Pathanamthitta district between 7.00 pm to 6.00 am, kayaking and boating for recreational purposes has been prohibited till November 24.
The district administration said the order was being issued as there was a possibility of natural disasters such as localised small floods, mudslides and landslides in view of the continuing heavy rains.
The prohibition would not apply to Sabarimala pilgrims or travel related to the pilgrimage or disaster relief, the district administration said.
However, pilgrims were advised to be cautious while travelling to and from Sabarimala, especially at night, in view of the red alert issued in the district.
Meanwhile, a 71-year-old woman was swept away in a stream near Valiyakulam village in Pathanamthitta district following the heavy rains.
An officer of Aranmula police station said that the woman had gone to take a bath when the incident occurred and she has still not been found.
Besides the red alert in Pathanamthitta district, the IMD also issued an orange alert for the day in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram and Idukki.
It also issued a yellow alert in all the remaining districts, except Kannur and Kasaragod, of the state.
The IMD, in the evening, predicted thunderstorms with light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur districts of the state.
Earlier in the day, the IMD said that cyclonic circulations over Tamil Nadu were likely to cause moderate to medium rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning in Kerala during the next five days.
It also said there was a possibility of heavy rains in isolated places in the state between November 22-24.
The heavy rains on Tuesday had inconvenienced the thousands of devotees trudging up to the hill-top shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district as part of a pilgrimage during the two-month long annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku period.
The rains had also led to flooding of many roads and hilly areas of Thiruvananthapuram district.
A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while orange alert means very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm of rain. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 to 11 cm.
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Air India resorts to cost-cutting ways amid 'tough times'; layoffs not anticipated
New Delhi/Mumbai (PTI): Hit hard by Pakistan airspace closure and Iran war, Air India has resorted to cost-cutting measures, including holding back annual increments for staff and asking them to cut discretionary spending as well as non-critical expenditures, warning of "tough times".
On Friday, Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director (CEO & MD) Campbell Wilson told the staff it is going to be a "very, very difficult year" if things don't improve on the Middle East front.
A day after the loss-making airline's board discussed various cost-saving steps, Wilson, along with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sanjay Sharma and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Ravindra Kumar GP, addressed the employees during a townhall on Friday where the emphasis on the need to keep a close watch on costs.
With higher jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict and airspace curbs, the loss-making airline's expenses have spiralled in recent times and against this backdrop, Sharma also told staffers that FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Calling for a relentless focus on costs in these tough times, Wilson urged employees to suspend discretionary spending, renegotiate rates where feasible, and defer non-critical expenditures.
"There must be a laser-sharp focus on eliminating wastage and leakages," he said.
Stressing the need to tighten the belt for a while, Wilson sounded optimistic that travel demand would rebound and the industry would continue on its upward path.
CHRO Ravindra Kumar told staff that the airline will proceed with variable pay for the last financial year and continue with planned promotions while noting that annual increments will be deferred by at least one quarter.
"We don't anticipate layoffs," he said.
At the airline's board meeting on Thursday, various cost-saving steps, including likely furloughs, were discussed. The Tata Group-owned airline has around 24,000 employees.
Generally, furlough refers to sending staff on unpaid leaves by companies during a tough financial situation.
During the townhall, CFO Sanjay Sharma said while strong revenue growth and fleet expansion drove financial momentum through FY25, FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Air India has seen around 40 per cent CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) in revenue between 2022 and 2025, he added.
The airline was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022.
The Air India CEO mentioned the external challenges being facing the aviation industry as a whole, including the continued closure of Pakistan airspace that is expected to persist for the foreseeable future and geopolitical conflicts leading to disruptions and airspace closures across West Asia.
Wilson, who is set to step down later this year, also flagged a sharp depreciation of the rupee and a 2.5-3 times increase in jet fuel prices, and added that these factors have adversely affected travel sentiment and consumer confidence, as per the sources.
If the Strait of Hormuz opens, oil prices fall and consumer as well as business confidence come back, there is a decent chance of a solid recovery, Wilson said, adding that unless those circumstances happen, it was going to be "a very, very difficult year".
"I feel somewhat responsible that we ended up with probably the biggest surprise of the year in the external environment which was a full-scale war in our neighbouring region in the Gulf. That has had a huge impact on airspace," he said.
For Air India, Wilson said the situation is compounded by the fact that the airline cannot fly over the neighbouring country and has to take a much longer routing for any west-bound destination.
"Every airline is reporting that they are under some sort of financial pressure as a result of higher fuel prices and economic uncertainty. So, it is unfortunately not a great environment to be running an airline," the Air India CEO said.
The Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- is projected to have incurred more than Rs 22,000 crore loss in the financial year ended March 2026.
At the townhall, Wilson also highlighted various initiatives, including completion of the retrofit of its legacy narrow-body aircraft and rapid network optimisation to redeploy capacity more efficiently.
