Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 16 (PTI) As rains intensified in Kerala on Wednesday, water levels of various rivers rose, holidays for educational institutions were declared in some districts and travel to hilly areas was prohibited in other areas.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), which initially issued an orange alert in five districts, upgraded it to red alert in two districts and orange in seven districts.
The IMD issued the red alert in Kannur and Kasaragod districts and the orange alert in Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts of the state.
It also issued a yellow alert in the remaining five districts of the state.
A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm, and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.
Following the upgrading of the alerts, July 17 was declared a holiday for educational institutions in Thrissur, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
In Wayanad, the district administration ordered suspension of activities at quarries and adventure tourism centres.
The administration also banned entry to the Mundakkai-Chooralmala area where landslides had claimed over 200 lives last year in July.
Meanwhile, the Irrigation Design and Research Board (IDRB) issued alerts regarding the Uppala and Mogral rivers in Kasaragod district due to a rise in their water levels and cautioned people living on their banks to be vigilant.