Four districts put on Red alert as monsoon set to hit Kerala Coast today

Thiruvananthapuram: Keeping in view the forecast by weather department, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has issued red and orange alerts in different parts of the state from June 9-11.

The weather department had predicted that the southwest monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala in the next 24 hours.

In August 2018 year, the state had witnessed one of its worst floods which claimed more than 350 lives.

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A Red alert, which signifies ‘very heavy’ to ‘extremely heavy’ rainfall, has been issued in Thrissur district on June 10 and in Ernakulam, Malappuram, and Kozhikode districts on June 11.

An orange alert, which means ‘heavy’ to ‘very heavy’ rainfall, has also been issued in state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur on June 9-10.

Prepared to battle this year monsoon, the state disaster management authority has released a monsoon preparedness and disaster relief handbook. The document contains instructions for 30 departments which tells how to be prepared for the monsoon and how to tackle disaster.

The India Meteorological Department has also predicted stormy weather with winds reaching 35-45 kmph and likely to prevail over southwest Arabian sea off the coast of Somalia, Lakshwadeep, Maldives area and Gulf of Mannar. Fishermen have been advised not to venture out to sea from June 7-11 in these areas.

Former head of the disaster management centre, Dr KG Thara said," It is good that the EAP and rule-curve has been formed, but the community-level preparedness is what is lacking. People don't really know what can be done at the time of a disaster."

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(PTI)