Rains continue to lash Kerala; orange alert in four districts, trains delayed
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): After a brief lull in the morning, rains continued to lash Kerala on Monday, with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an orange alert in four districts of the state.
The IMD issued an orange alert in the districts of Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki for the day. It also issued a yellow alert in eight districts of the state.
An orange alert means that very heavy rainfall of 11 cm to 20 cm is likely, and a yellow alert means there could be heavy rainfall of between 6 and 11 cm.
The IMD also predicted that thunderstorms with moderate rainfall and gusty winds are likely to occur at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts of the state.
Earlier in the day, the IMD said there were cyclonic circulations over coastal Tamil Nadu and its neighbourhoods as well as over the Lakshadweep area, adjoining the Southeast Arabian sea and the Kerala coast.
Under their influence, light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, gusty wind and lightning are likely at many places in Kerala on Monday and Tuesday, it said.
Meanwhile, state Health Minister Veena George advised extreme caution against spread of infectious diseases in areas flooded due to the rains.
Following a review meeting held here during the day, the minister said that as the water recedes from the flooded and waterlogged areas, there is a chance of spread of infectious diseases, such as leptospirosis -- which is caused by contact with water or soil contaminated with the urine of animals such as rats.
The minister, according to a statement issued by her office, said the health department is already on the alert for cases of dengue and leptospirosis.
Although the number of cases of fever are low, it is important to be careful during the rains, she said and advised against self medicating.
She directed that surveillance in the districts be strengthened and awareness activities be intensified, apart from ensuring availability of medicines, the statement said.
Residents of flooded areas and those involved in rescue operations should take doxycycline tablets as prescribed by health professionals for the prevention of leptospirosis infection, the minister said.
During the brief lull in rainfall in the morning, water receded from most of the areas which were flooded and waterlogged due to the heavy rainfall in the state in the last few days.
Many areas of the southernmost Kerala district of Thiruvananthapuram and the state capital were waterlogged and flooded on Sunday. However, water did not recede from some areas such as the Kochuveli pit line here, leading to rescheduling and delaying of trains.
A pit line is a track at a station where train coaches are inspected and where repairs and maintenance work is carried out before a journey.
The Thiruvananthapuram Central-New Delhi Kerala Express, which was scheduled to leave the state capital at 12.30 pm on Monday, was rescheduled to depart at 7.35 pm as water did not recede at the Kochuveli pit line after the heavy rains, the railways said.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
