Heavy rains in Kerala: Red alert in 10 districts, 6 deaths, thousands relocated to camps
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 2: A red alert was declared by the IMD in 10 districts of Kerala where incessant rains on Tuesday caused six deaths, landslides, rise in water levels and relocation of thousands to relief camps in various parts of the state.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert in all the districts of the state barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Kasaragod, for August 2 and 3 and has predicted heavy rainfall in the state till August 5.
The heavy rains led to six deaths -- one each in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Ernakulam districts and three in Kannur district -- resulting in a total of 12 rain-related casualties in the state from July 31 till date, the Kerala State Emergency Operations Center (KSEOC) said.
Besides that, three people have also gone missing from various parts of the state during the day, it said.
In view of the heavy rainfall and anticipating landslides, flash floods and other disasters, the state government opened 95 relief camps across Kerala where 2,291 people have been relocated, KSEOC said.
The heavy rainfall also damaged 126 houses between July 31 till date and of those 27 homes were completely destroyed, it said.
In view of the red alerts issued by the IMD and the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall in the state in the next few days, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the warning of very heavy rains in the state in the days ahead should be taken very seriously as continuous rainfall of more than 200 mm is likely to create a crisis.
There is a need for vigilance and preparedness in the state in anticipation of natural disasters like landslides, mountain floods, flash floods, and waterlogging in cities and low-lying areas, the CM said in a Facebook post.
Vijayan also said that the Central Water Commission has issued a warning regarding the water levels of various rivers, like Pampa, Manimala and Neyyar, crossing the danger marks at several places.
He said the commission has also warned that water levels of rivers like Achankovil, Kaliyar, Thodupuzha and Meenachil are on the rise and therefore, people living on the banks of all these rivers should be cautious and steps are being taken to relocate them to safer locations.
He has requested everyone not to be reluctant to relocate and to follow the instructions of the authorities.
The CM also directed that the camps should adhere to COVID-19 norms and there should be special facilities for pregnant women, lactating mothers and persons with special needs.
He further said, in the post, that the KSEOC was functioning as the state-level control room with representatives of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Rescue Forces and other departments concerned and control rooms have also been set up in all districts and taluks.
Besides that, nine NDRF teams have been deployed in the state apart from the two units of the Defence Security Corps stationed in Kannur and Palakkad districts and one column of the Army in Thiruvananthapuram district, he said.
As there is a possibility of strong winds along with rain, steps should be taken on a war footing to secure electric lines, posts, trees and hoardings to avoid accidents due to their collapse, he said and added that earthmovers and other machinery should be kept ready in advance in disaster-prone areas to deal with landslides and flash floods in hilly areas.
Restricting travel to hilly areas and on water bodies, avoiding night time travel and advising fishermen not to go out to sea in view of possibility of strong winds and huge waves, were some of the other directions the state government has issued, the CM said.
The CPI(M) state secretariat, in a release, said it has asked all its workers to be part of the relief and rescue work in the state.
The Pathanamthitta Collector has been tasked with taking appropriate steps to ensure that the functions related to the Niraputhari festival, which marks the beginning of the harvest season, and Aranmula Vallasadhya at Sabarimala are not disrupted, a release said.
Data on the daily water-levels of the dams operated by KSEB (Kerala State Electricity Board) indicate that water-levels in five Idukki dams -- Ponmudi, Kundala, Kallarkutty, Erattayar and Lower Periyar -- as well as the Moozhiyar and Poringalkuthu dams in Pathanamthitta and Thrissur, respectively, have reached the red alert storage levels.
Two Irrigation department reservoirs in Palakkad -- Meenkara and Mangalam -- reached Orange alert storage levels on Tuesday due to the heavy rains, according to the data on the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) website.
The Ernakulam district officials also said that an emergency action committee comprising local bodies will be formed to take steps to prevent waterlogging in Kochi city and supervise rescue and evacuation operations.
Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard also stepped into help with search and rescue operations.
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 and 11 cm.
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Ghaziabad woman alleges harassment for dowry, demand to maintain body like actor Nora Fatehi
Ghaziabad: A 26-year-old woman from Ghaziabad has filed a complaint against her husband and in-laws, accusing them of harassment, body shaming, and demanding dowry. In her complaint, the woman alleges that her husband repeatedly told her she should resemble Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi and body-shamed her for not meeting these expectations.
The woman, a resident of Muradnagar, was married six months ago, with her family reportedly spending over Rs 76 lakh on the wedding. In addition to the lavish wedding, the woman’s family gifted her husband a Mahindra Scorpio, along with cash and jewellery. Despite these expenses, the woman claims her in-laws continued to harass her, demanding more dowry.
The complainant, whose husband is a physical education teacher at a government school, further alleges that he frequently body-shamed her, calling her “fat and ugly.” He allegedly insisted that she exercise for three hours a day, and when she failed to comply, she was deprived of food.
The situation took a darker turn when the woman found she was pregnant two months ago. According to her statement, she informed her mother-in-law, but received no response or support. The woman reportedly claims that her husband later gave her a pill, which she later identified online as being used for abortions. She alleges that when her health began to deteriorate, her in-laws sent her back to her parents’ home. After seeking medical attention, she was informed by doctors that she had suffered a miscarriage.
She also alleged that her husband frequently watched inappropriate content online and was a habitual womaniser.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Saloni Agarwal confirmed that an FIR has been filed at the women’s police station in Ghaziabad and an investigation is underway.
