Thiruvananthapuram: Bracing for another spell of heavy rain and possible flooding, the state govt on Thursday directed all district collectors to activate relief camps, evacuate vulnerable residents and place the entire disaster response machinery on high alert in districts under red and orange alerts.The sweeping precautionary measures come a day after sudden flooding in parts of Pathanamthitta caught many by surprise, prompting the state to adopt a more proactive approach as heavy rainfall is forecast to continue and river levels remain high in several river basins. The govt has asked the district collectors to strictly implement the standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid down in the state’s Orange Book for districts under red and orange alerts.The directive said rainfall was intensifying rapidly over the southern high ranges, particularly in the eastern parts of Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam districts, besides the northern districts of Kannur and Kasaragod. With the India meteorological department (IMD) issuing extreme and heavy rain alerts for multiple districts, the directive warned that most river basins were flowing at or near full capacity.It also referred to the latest quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF), which indicated a high likelihood of flooding, particularly in the Periyar and Meenachil river basins. Collectors have been directed to immediately activate all designated relief camps in districts under red and orange alerts and use Kerala state disaster management authority (KSDMA) susceptibility maps to identify high-risk local bodies. They have also been asked to evacuate vulnerable residents from the areas in accordance with the Orange Book protocols, while encouraging people to voluntarily shift to the homes of relatives or friends in safer locations wherever possible.The directive said evacuation efforts should be focused on panchayats identified by KSDMA as highly susceptible to landslides and flooding, based on the latest hazard maps shared with district collectors.To strengthen preparedness, the govt ordered all village offices, local self-govt institutions, police, fire and rescue services and Aapda Mitra volunteers to remain on high alert. It also cancelled leave for officials in village offices, taluk offices, collectorates and LSG institutions for Thursday and Friday, permitting leave only under exceptional circumstances.The state also ordered intensified monitoring of rivers and dams. “Irrigation or LSG department officials have been directed to remain stationed in riverside towns to monitor water levels and report them every three hours to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) and District Emergency Operations Centres (DEOCs),” sources said.The directive to DCs further ordered hourly monitoring of rainfall and inflows at all dam sites, with data to be transmitted every hour to the SEOC and DEOCs. It also instructed officials to strictly follow the Orange Book guidelines for all nighttime dam operations.
