Met dept forecasts downpour in Assam for next 5 days, issues 'red' alert
Guwahati, Jun 18: The India Meteorological Department on Sunday issued a 'red' alert, predicting very heavy rainfall across several districts of Assam in the next five days.
The warning comes at a time when Assam is witnessing the first wave of flood this year due to incessant rain across the state in the last few days.
In a special weather bulletin, IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati issued the 'red' alert for Sunday and Monday with prediction of "heavy (7-11 cm in 24 hours) to very heavy (11-20 cm in 24 hrs) with extremely heavy rainfall (over 20 cm in 24 hours)" in lower Assam districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Barpeta and Bongaigaon.
During the same period, "heavy to very heavy" rainfall is likely in Dhubri, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Nalbari, Dima Hasao, Cachar, Goalpara and Karimganj districts, it added.
The RMC has issued an 'orange' alert for Tuesday, and a 'yellow' warning for the subsequent two days.
'Red' alert signifies taking immediate action, while the 'orange' warning implies to be prepared for action and the 'yellow' one stands for watch and be updated.
"Moisture incursion is very likely to continue due to strong low-level Southerly/Southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to Northeast India during the next five days.
"Under its influence, fairly widespread rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy rainfall/thunderstorm with lightning is very likely to continue over Assam during the next five days," RMC said in the bulletin.
It also said temporary disruption of traffic due to water logging in roads, and uprooting of trees are likely to happen.
The uprooting of trees may cause power supply disruption.
"Heavy rainfall may damage the standing crops and vegetables in the maturity stage. Lightning may injure people and cattle in open places," the report said, adding that flash floods and landslides are also likely to occur in many areas.
The bulletin also said that there is a likelihood of moderate flash floods over a few watersheds and neighbourhoods of Assam and Meghalaya.
According to an Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report, 37,535 people in 10 districts of the state have been affected by the flood till Saturday.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
