Heavy rains in Kerala disrupts normal life
Thiruvananthapuram, July 16 : Heavy rains pounded Kerala on Monday disrupting normal life with more rainfall predicted till Wednesday, weather officials said.
In Alappuzha district's Chandriroor, an uprooted fell on top of the last bogey of the Thiruvananthapuram-bound Mangalore Express, but there were reports of any injuries.
The train moved after a three hour delay.
It has been raining in several districts for the past 36 hours and as a result more than 3,000 people have been rehabilitated in relief camps.
All educational institutions in eight of the 14 districts were closed on Monday and most of the university examinations were postponed.
The worst affected districts include Alappuzha, Idukki, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kottayam, Kollam and Kochi. The Met Department has issued an alert for the coastal districts, warning fishermen not to venture in the rough seas.
Alerts were also issued in the hilly areas warning of possible landslides. Buses to Karnataka via Wayanad district have been suspended.
State Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekheran has directed his department and the district authorities to take stock of the estimated loss. So far three deaths have been reported.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
