IMD sounds red alert in five districts of Kerala, forecasts extremely heavy rainfall
Thiruvananthapuram, May 22: With heavy rains continuing to lash several parts of Kerala, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday placed five districts of the state on red alert, predicting extremely heavy rainfall in those regions.
According to the latest update from the weather agency, the red alert was sounded in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Idukki.
Though Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam were earlier placed under an orange alert, the IMD later upgraded the warning to a red alert, predicting extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places there.
Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad continue to be on orange alert, while Kannur and Kasaragod remain on yellow alert, the IMD said.
High waves in the range of 0.4 to 3.3 metres and sea incursions are forecast along the coast of Kerala from Vizhinjam in the south to Kasaragod in the north until Thursday night, authorities added.
A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm, and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the incessant heavy rains, a state control room has been opened in the Health Department Directorate here as part of efforts to strengthen epidemic prevention activities, Health Minister Veena George said.
A state-level rapid response team had already been formed by the department for epidemic prevention, she said in a statement.
The control room has been launched with the objective of coordinating various activities under the Health Department and clearing the doubts of health workers and the general public, the minister added.
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Speaker UT Khader attends local cricket tournament during Bhatkal visit
Bhatkal: Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly U. T. Khader visited Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district on Saturday and attended a local cricket match being played as part of a tournament organised by the Cosmos Sports Centre of Bhatkal.
After attending a programme at Anjuman Hami-E-Muslimeen, Khader proceeded to the Bhatkal Taluka Stadium, where the tournament is underway. He was accompanied by office-bearers of the Cosmos Sports Centre and several local community leaders.
Those present during the visit included President of Majlis-e-Islah Wa Tanzeem and former JD(S) leader Inayathullah Shabandri, Vice President of Tanzeem Atiqur Rahman Muniri, General Secretary Abdul Raqeeb MJ, President of Cosmos Sports Centre Ismail Anjum, Managing Director of Mohtisham Complexes S. M. Arshad, former president of the Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation Imtiyaz Udyawar, among others.
Addressing players and organisers, Khader extended his best wishes to the participating teams and urged the players to uphold the spirit of sportsmanship. He said such tournaments help promote unity and brotherhood among the youth.
The cricket tournament began on November 21 and will conclude with the final match on December 21. It is being organised as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Cosmos Sports Centre.
Cosmos Sports Centre is one of the member clubs of the Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation and is known for its active role in promoting sports in the town. Apart from sporting activities, the centre is also involved in various social and community initiatives, including efforts to promote education among students.
