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Kerala rains: Over 20,000 evacuated, more than 300 camps set up across state for assistance

WION Web Team
New DelhiEdited By: Sparshita SaxenaUpdated: Aug 09, 2019, 08:23 AM IST
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File photo: Rain in Kerala. Photograph:(AFP)

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Kerala Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday issued 'Red Alert' warning for Idukki, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts for 24 hours.

Operations at Cochin International Airport, Kerala have been suspended till August 11, 3 pm in the wake of heavy rains and flooding at the airport. 

According to reports, the water level in the Periyar river has been on the rise. 

Kerala Government has declared a holiday today for all schools across the state. As per reports, more than 315 camps have been set up for assistance and over 20,000 people have been evacuated.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KDSMA) has stated that 22,165 people have been evacuated to safety and are lodged in 315 camps across the state. 

Kerala Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday issued a 'Red Alert' warning for Idukki, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts for 24 hours.

Thrissur, Palakkad, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts were issued 'Orange Alerts' for yesterday. 

Schools and colleges were shut in Malappuram and Wayanad districts. 

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An 'Orange Alert' was issued for Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kasargod districts for Friday.

Idukki and Kozhikode have been put on 'Orange Alert' for Saturday as well.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), chaired by Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha was held on Thursday to review the prevailing flood situation in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Gujarat.

Last year's disastrous floods in Kerala claimed over 350 lives across the state.

The shutters of nearly 33 dangerously full dams and reservoirs were opened for the first time in the history of Kerala in nearly a century. 

State authorities estimated a cumulative loss worth over Rs 21,000 crore in the catastrophe that was announced as 'calamity of severe nature' by the central government. 

A 'Red Alert' spells out a warning for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, whereas an 'Orange Alert' denotes that an area is likely to get heavy to very heavy rainfall. 

(With inputs from ANI)