Ullal: Families concerned after well collapse following heavy rains
Ullal: Families in Kallapu of Ullal taluk are facing safety concerns after a well located by the road connecting Kerebail to Sevanthigudda near Kallapu collapsed on Thursday. The collapse followed heavy showers in the region over the past few days.
The well, which was dug by a resident named Ibrahim, served five families living in his house near Kallapu. Following the incident, Ullal City Municipality Commissioner Vani Alva, Engineer Tulasidas, and Revenue Inspector Chandrahas visited the site to inspect the area surrounding the collapsed well. They advised the locals to take additional safety measures to protect lives and property.
As a precaution, drivers of heavy vehicles as well as school and college buses have been directed to avoid the affected road. Students have also been instructed not to use this route to reach their schools.
ALSO READ: 64-year-old woman in Kasaragod dies after suffering cobra bite
During their inspection, the municipality authorities found the compound wall of a house beside the road in a dilapidated condition. They directed the family living there to demolish the wall to prevent any mishaps. The families residing in Ibrahim's house have been asked to stay away from the collapsed well for their safety.
Mahantesh, a native of Bagalkot and a tenant in Ibrahim's house, informed the municipality officers that the well had developed problems for the second time in about a year. The collapse has left the five families residing in the house without a reliable water source. Mahantesh urged the authorities to improve the water supply to the area to address the issue.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Climate Change crisis: IMD to change parameters to declare heatwaves
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The IMD, along with its technical partners, will soon revise the criteria for declaring heatwave conditions in the country, as the present parameters do not suit India’s geographical conditions, according to official sources here.
Kerala, in particular, has faced difficulties in issuing heatwave warnings because of the limitations of the existing parameters.
Sources in the India Meteorological Department said the state experienced severe heat and humidity this summer and, for the first time, weather forecasts were made based on the anti-cyclone system that formed near the Karnataka–Maharashtra coast.
"We have never had an anti-cyclone system form closer to the South before, and this time we had to predict the weather based on it," a senior IMD official told PTI.
Anti-cyclonic systems are common over north-western parts of India, but this year one formed near the southern region, leading to unusually hot nights.
The anti-cyclone caused downward air movement, which pushed warm air towards the surface and prevented it from dispersing at night, the official added. As a result, Kerala recorded night temperatures 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal.
Because Kerala has experienced a steady temperature increase during the summer months for the last few years, changing the parameters for declaring heat waves would benefit the state, enabling the authorities to issue warnings more efficiently, the official added.
The IMD currently issues hot and humid weather warnings, although the situation warrants a heatwave warning, as the existing parameters do not allow the department to issue one.
At present, the IMD issues a heat wave warning in coastal areas when the maximum temperature reaches 37 degree Celsius or more with a temperature departure of 4.5 degree Celsius over the recorded maximum temperature.
For plains, the threshold is 40 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more from normal, while for hilly regions it is 30 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more.
Officials said the current heatwave declaration parameters also require these conditions to be recorded at two stations in the state to issue the warnings.
"In Kerala, we hardly get to record these conditions in two areas; moreover, we have severe heat stress that can easily cause a heat stroke. So we have decided to rework the heatwave declaration parameters and the changes will be implemented shortly. There will be a consultation with the Disaster Management Authority also before finalising the parameters," the official said.
Throughout Kerala, temperatures recorded this summer were three to four degrees Celsius higher than usual. The state also reported multiple cases of heatstroke despite regular warnings issued by the IMD and the state disaster management authority.
According to experts, Kerala has become a climate change hotspot, with a steady increase in atmospheric temperatures and erratic monsoons.
The IMD has also predicted a below-normal monsoon this year, as this is the first time two consecutive El Nino years are being witnessed.
