Kerala rains live updates: Let-up in downpour; Idukki landslide toll rises to 49

Level - 136.60ftInflow - Average 4141 c/sDischarge - 2100c/s

Level 136.55ftInflow - average 4008 c/sDischarge - 2100c/s

In view of heavy rains in the district on Sunday, the irrigation department has issued a warning on opening of shutters of Malampuzha and Walayar reservoirs in the coming days. The water level in Malampuzha reservoir stood at 110.49m on Sunday and when it crosses 11.08m, the water would be released. The full reservoir level (FRL) of the dam is 115.6m. The water level of Walayar is 199.95m as against the FRL of 203m, said an irrigation department official.

As many as 17 bodies of Pettimudy landslide victims were recovered on Sunday, taking the death toll in the tragedy to 43. The search operations were intensified on the day, with the rescue personnel split into teams so as to widen the search and two sniffer dogs pressed into service.

After five days of intense rainfall, Wayanad district got a respite on Sunday with rains subsiding which led to receding of water levels in the rivers. The rivers had overflown inundating several lowlying areas in the district. However, the district administration has not let its guard down and more people have been shifted to the relief camps taking the number of inmates to 4,288 people in 81 camps, including 2,330 tribespeople. As many as 44 tribespeople from 12 families of Parappanpara tribal colony were shifted to relief camps on Sunday following threat of landslide in the area.

Six shutters of Pamba dam were raised to 60cm each on Sunday following incessant rains in the catchment areas of the dam. Pathanamthitta district collector P B Nooh said by releasing 82 cubic feet of water for nine hours, water level in the dam was expected to be maintained at the blue alert level of 982m. The released water flowed to Pamba River and it took around five hours for this water to reach Ranni.

Incessant rain, breaching of outer bunds and overflowing of rivers have forced the district administration to shift 3,205 people of 935 families to 69 relief camps. At least 12 gruel centres (non-residential camp for serving food only) were also opened in Kuttanad. In Chengannur taluk, 1,452 people are staying in 30 relief camps. Chengannur was one of the worst-hit places in the 2018 floods.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that heavy rainfall will continue in many places in Kerala on Monday though no red alert was issued for in any district. IMD issued an orange alert for Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Malappuram and Kannur and said there is a possibility in reduction of heavy rainfall from Tuesday.

Rain continued to lash many parts of Kerala on Sunday amid predictions of extremely heavy rainfall in six districts, raising concerns of aggravated flood situation in low lying areas, even as the death toll in the recent massive landslide in Idukki district rose to 43 with 17 more bodies being retrieved from the debris.

While the deaths due to landslide near Munnar are on the rise, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday spoke to his counterpart and Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and offered all help in rescue operations.