Kerala calls back globetrotters; Munnar is all bright and sunny

The sun shines over the God’s Own Country, not knowing about the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) weather warning issued across the state sighting chances of incessant rains. However, looking at the clear sky, the IMD withdrew red alert for rains and landslides across Kerala, which they had issued earlier this week. The IMD had predicted excessive rainfall across Kerala, followed by which red alert have been issued in Palakkad, Thrissur and Idukki districts of Kerala. However, with the IMD withdrawing the warning, the red alerts issued in these districts were also withdrawn.

The district administration has banned all tourism-related activities and imposed curbs on night travel in the district. An official at the Disaster Management Cell said taluk-level control rooms were functioning and landslip-prone areas were being monitored. But so far as current happenings in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea are concerned, meteorologists term them as “normal and common weather occurrences for this time of the year” unlike the “exceptional and unprecedented” conditions experienced by Kerala in August. Preliminary measures proposed to be taken in view of the continuous days of yellow, orange, and red alert and the forecast of rainwater, are relaxed considering the absence of rain in these days.

The District Collector and the Chairman of Disaster Management Authority, Idukki, in an order dated October 7, 2018, stated that the district administration’s travel restrictions stand cancelled from today. “Since the red alert have been cancelled and in view of the absence of rains, we are cancelling the travel ban/restrictions issued earlier. However, considering the safety of the travellers, the night travel restrictions are to be observed till October 8,” said the release.

The district administration has lifted the travel ban on Munnar, and Thekkady, including other tourist destinations. Effective from October 7 (today), travellers can access any of the tourist destinations including the Neelakurinji gardens.

One of the shutters (the third one) of the Cheruthoni dam of the Idukki reservoir was raised by 70 cm at 11 a.m. releasing 50 cumecs of water into the Periyar on Saturday.

Photo Courtesy: Ram KumarEarlier, the district administration has banned tourism and late night travel in the district starting October 5, in view of the heavy to very heavy rain forecast in Kerala and Lakshadweep in the next two-three days. A red alert has also been issued in three districts of Idukki, Thrissur and Palakkad on Thursday following an IMD forecast of heavy to very heavy rains in the state in the next two-three days.

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