Rains continued to lash many parts of Kerala on Wednesday, August 31 leading to a rise in water level in various rivers, forcing authorities to open shutters of Malampuzha dam in Palakkad district to discharge excess water in the reservoir. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rain or thundershowers at most places in Kerala and Lakshadweep till September 3 due to the cyclonic circulation over interior Tamil Nadu and neighbourhood to west Vidarbha across Telangana, Rayalaseema. The weatherman has sounded yellow warning in all 14 districts, predicting rains in most places in the southern state between August 31 and September 4.
Hundreds of residents in central Kerala districts were evacuated owing to rain. The Pathanamthitta district administration has declared holiday for schools, which were being temporarily converted into relief camps. Authorities have sounded alert to people living on the banks of river Bharathapuzha as the shutters of Malampuzha dam will be opened to release excess water in the reservoir.
Several train services were stopped or diverted due to the rains on Tuesday, which is likely to continue in the coming days. The Kollam-Kottayam-Ernakulam Memu Express was discontinued at Tripunithura on Tuesday; and the Nizamuddin-Eranakulam Mangala Express was stopped at Ernakulam Town station instead of Ernakulam Junction station. The Ernakulam-Kottayam-Kollam Memu Express is to start from Tripunithura on Wednesday and is partially canceled between Ernakulam Junction and Tripunithura.
The other changes in train services are: Kannur-Thiruvananthapuram Janshatabdi, and Secunderabad - Thiruvananthapuram Sabari will operate via Alappuzha. These trains diverted via Alappuzha will have stops at Cherthala, Alappuzha and Ambalapuzha stations. Further, the Ernakulam Unreserved Express via Alappuzha which was scheduled to leave Kayamkulam at 8.50 am on Wednesday morning has been cancelled.
The IMD added that a heavy spell of rainfall is likely to continue over South Peninsular India, Bihar, sub-Himalayan West Bengal-Sikkim and Northeast India during the next five days, and a cyclonic circulation lies over interior Tamil Nadu and its neighbourhood.
(With PTI inputs)