Photo for representation only.
As incessant rains continue to batter Kerala, the authorities have moved over 34,000 people to safer places across the southern state. Normal life has been thrown out of gear as continuous rains have hit road, rail traffic badly. Several areas in Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam are submerged in water as authorities continue to provide relief to the affected people.
As many as 10 trains on Kottayam-Ettumanur section have been cancelled and the district administration has declared a holiday for educational institutions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall in multiple districts of Kerala.
Rains are expected to continue till July 19.
Rains wreaked havoc in many parts of Kottayam district. People living in low lying areas have been shifted to relief camps. District authorities said 8577 persons from 2300 families have been shifted to 104 relief camps in the district.
A 45-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has been deployed to carry out relief operations. Many relief camps were also inundated.
District authorities said educational institutions in the district will remain shut tomorrow also. The body of a man who went missing in a river was recovered on Tuesday (July 18), officials said.
The weather department has also issued warning of "heavy to very heavy rain" in several parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Maharasthra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka among other states for the next couple of days.
(With inputs from agencies)
