Idukki: In view of continued heavy rain and strong winds, the district administrations of Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Malappuram and Palakkad have declared a holiday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges, on Wednesday. However, residential institutions where students stay on campus are exempted from the order.

The decision follows a red alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for Idukki, Palakkad, and Malappuram, which are expected to receive extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 204.4 mm on Wednesday. In Malappuram and Pathanamthitta, the holiday is also applicable for Anganwadis, madrassas, and tuition centres.

Travel, tourism ban in Idukki
The Idukki district administration has suspended all water-based recreational activities, including boating, kayaking, rafting, and coracle rides in the district’s reservoirs. All tourism and adventure activities, such as trekking in hilly and landslide-prone areas, have also been banned until the red alert is lifted.

Travel within the district will be restricted between 7 pm and 6 am until further notice. In addition, the District Collector has imposed a temporary ban on mining and soil excavation activities, except those directly linked to disaster management operations.