Orange alert in four Kerala's Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki districts

Thiruvananthapuram, After a brief lull in the morning, rains continued to lash Kerala on Monday, with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an orange alert in four districts of the state. The IMD issued an orange alert in the districts of Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki for the day. It also issued a yellow alert in eight districts of the state.

An orange alert means that very heavy rainfall of 11 cm to 20 cm is likely, and a yellow alert means there could be heavy rainfall of between 6 and 11 cm. The IMD also predicted that thunderstorms with moderate rainfall and gusty winds are likely to occur at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts of the state.

Earlier in the day, the IMD said there were cyclonic circulations over coastal Tamil Nadu and its neighbourhoods as well as over the Lakshadweep area, adjoining the Southeast Arabian sea and the Kerala coast. Under their influence, light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, gusty wind and lightning are likely at many places in Kerala on Monday and Tuesday, it said. Meanwhile, state Health Minister Veena George advised extreme caution against spread of infectious diseases in areas flooded due to the rains.

Following a review meeting held here during the day, the minister said that as the water recedes from the flooded and waterlogged areas, there is a chance of spread of infectious diseases, such as leptospirosis -- which is caused by contact with water or soil contaminated with the urine of animals such as rats. The minister, according to a statement issued by her office, said the health department is already on the alert for cases of dengue and leptospirosis. Although the number of cases of fever are low, it is important to be careful during the rains, she said and advised against self medicating.

She directed that surveillance in the districts be strengthened and awareness activities be intensified, apart from ensuring availability of medicines, the statement said. Residents of flooded areas and those involved in rescue operations should take doxycycline tablets as prescribed by health professionals for the prevention of leptospirosis infection, the minister said.

During the brief lull in rainfall in the morning, water receded from most of the areas which were flooded and waterlogged due to the heavy rainfall in the state in the last few days. Many areas of the southernmost Kerala district of Thiruvananthapuram and the state capital were waterlogged and flooded on Sunday. However, water did not recede from some areas such as the Kochuveli pit line here, leading to rescheduling and delaying of trains. A pit line is a track at a station where train coaches are inspected and where repairs and maintenance work is carried out before a journey.

The Thiruvananthapuram Central-New Delhi Kerala Express, which was scheduled to leave the state capital at 12.30 pm on Monday, was rescheduled to depart at 7.35 pm as water did not recede at the Kochuveli pit line after the heavy rains, the railways said.