The Kerala government has declared a holiday in five districts for Friday as the state remains on high alert with heavy rains expected when cyclone Burevi makes landfall. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its latest bulletin, has said Burevi may make landfall in Kerala on December 4 and issued a red warning and cyclone warning for south Tamil Nadu and south Kerala coasts.
A statement issued by the state government said that a public holiday has been declared in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki. Over 2,000 relief camps have been opened in Kerala, it said.
"A public holiday for all government offices including public sector undertakings has been declared for the five districts in the state," the statement said.
It, however, said that the disaster management authority and services concerned, emergency services and election-related services, will function normally.
The international airport in Thiruvananthapuram will remain shut from 10 am to 6 pm on December 4.
The IMD has predicted that the course of the storm will be through the border areas of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts and the government, along with various departments and the Army, were ready to face the contingencies, the statement said.
Election related work will continue on Friday, said Collector of Thiruvananthapuram, Navjot Khosa. On Friday morning, Collector Navjot posted that the IMD informed that the force of Burevi has reduced to a deep depression.
The cyclone has reduced to a deep depression at the Gulf of Mannar, close to Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu.
A new bulletin released by the IMD said that a weakened low pressure would enter Kerala, at a speed of 30 to 40 km/hour. It would reach the Arabian Sea through the North East coast of Thiruvananthapuram.
Trawling has been completely banned until further notice, the Collector said. "Fishermen are advised not to venture into Gulf of Mannar and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal and along & off south Tamil Nadu coast and north Sri Lanka coasts during next 12 hours and along and off Kerala coast, Lakshadweep-Maldives area & adjoining southeast Arabian Sea during next 24-hours," the bulletin said.
(With PTI input)