Rough seas batter coastal areas in southern, central Kerala

Rough seas hit Kerala's coastal areas, prompting disaster management alert; 'Kallakkadal' phenomenon persists, urging safety precautions.

Rough seas battered coastal areas in central and southern districts of Kerala on Sunday, giving anxious moments to coastal communities and prompting district-level disaster management machineries to be in alert mode.

Swell waves flooded beaches along the coastal areas in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Thrissur districts. The phenomenon, referred to as ‘Kallakkadal’ locally, is likely to persist for one or two days more along the Kerala coast, according to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA).

During ‘Kallakkadal events,’ the sea surges into the land causing inundation.

In Thiruvananthapuram district, coastal Pozhiyoor, Puthiyathura, Poovar, Anchuthengu, and Adimalathura were among the worst-hit. A few families in Pozhiyoor have temporarily shifted to the homes of relatives. “The fishing community in these regions say that the phenomenon is not common for this time of the year,” Deputy Collector (Disaster Management) Anil Jose said.

An urgent meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) decided to prohibit travel to coastal tourism hubs for three days. The DDMA (Thiruvananthapuram) also directed the District Tourism Promotion Council to temporarily ban tourism activities in the coastal areas. The tahsildars in Thiruvananthapuram, Neyyattinkara, Varkala, and Chirayinkeezhu have been asked to remain alert.

The District Medical Officer has been asked to ensure adequate supply of first aid kits and life-saving medicines in the affected areas. Steps have also been initiated to open relief camps, if needed, in these regions.

Kollam District Collector Devidas N. said steps had been taken to open camps in the district. The Collectorate control room can be contacted on 94476 77800. While there is no ban on fishing, boats returning to the coast should exercise caution, the Kollam district administration said.