Thiruvananthapuram: After a brief lull, rain started lashing several parts of Kerala since Sunday morning, posing problems to the relief operations undertaken by multiple agencies in the flood and landslides-hit regions.
However, the water level in the Idukki and Idamalayar reservoirs reduced, bringing some relief, with the authorities saying there was no need for any panic for people living downstream, officials said. Water level at Idukki dam stood at 2398.42 feet at 9 pm on Sunday as against 2401 feet Saturday night.
There were no fresh casualties reported since Saturday and the toll in the rain-related incidents since the current monsoon fury from August 8 stood at 37, officials said.
More than 60,000 people have been accommodated in relief camps set up in different areas, including in Wayand where over 14,000 people had been sheltered.
Ten columns of Army, a unit of Madras Regiment along with personnel of Navy, Air Force and the NDRF were engaged in relief and rescue operations in badly-hit districts including Kozhikode, Idukki, Malappuram, Kannur and Wayanad, Defence sources said.
Mananthavady and Vythiri in the hilly Wayanad district have been totally cut-off, with roads washed away and houses marooned by water.
There was a brief respite from the rains yesterday in several parts of the state, but the fresh heavy downpour was making relief works difficult now, authorities said. A decision on closing the shuttersof Idukki would be taken only after analysing the circumstances, including possibility of more rain.
Two shutters of the Idamalayar dam remained open on Sunday. The water has been flowing out of the dam at a rate of 200 cubic metre per second, bring the level down to 168.90 metres.
