Thrissur Pooram, Kerala's largest temple festival begins today. It falls on the Pooram star during the month of Medam as per the Malayalam calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar, Thrissur Pooram 2019 begins on May 13 and will extend to May 14. Thousands of people from across countries attend the festivities in Vadakkunnathan Temple. Some of the popular events that attract a large number of crowds include two rounds of fireworks, kudamattam, a parade of caparisoned elephants, Panchavadyam (an orchestra of five instruments) among other cultural and traditional events.
Real-time levels and forecasts of Particulate Matter (PM2.5, PM10), Ozone (O3) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in Thrissur. The air quality report by Plume Labs.
You can watch Thrissur Pooram 2019 live streaming here.Thrissur Pooram is known for being the largest temple festival in Kerala and is called the mother of all poorams. The opening of the Thrissur Pooram festival was marked by the arrival of. More than 10,000 people had gathered in the temple premises to catch a glimpse of the tusker which was earlier banned from being paraded in the event. As festivities are ongoing in full force in Thrissur, we bring to you live streaming of the event. For all those Malayalis and others living across seas and continents, watch Thrissur Pooram 2019 live with us. Watch Thrissur Pooram 2019 live here:Thrissur Pooram was introduced by Raja Rama Varma, known as Sakthan Thampuran, the 17th-century ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin in Kerala. Over centuries, Thrissur Pooram grew in size and stature and is known internationally. Kerala Tourism tweeted a video on Thrissur Pooram that rightly captures the essence of the temple festival in Kerala.Watch the video below:Around 50 elephants are paraded at the event as an array of percussionists stage the popular temple artform Panchavadyam.
Music lovers who crowd the artists catch the rhythm of the constantly increasing tempo alongside a proportional decrease in the number of beats in cycles. The display of firecrackers will be held on Monday afternoon which will continue till the wee hours on Tuesday.
The flood situation in Kerala further worsened with many areas inundated and flight operations suspended till August 18 at Kochi airport. The toll rose to 67 with rain fury claiming 24 lives on August 15 alone. Officials said a red alert has been sounded in all the 14 districts of the State.From Kasaragod in the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south, all rivers are in spate and shutters of 35 dams, including Mullaperiyar, have been opened.Eleven deaths were reported from Malappuram alone, officials said.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said said the heavy rains would continue for some more days, which will further worsen the situation. More than 1.5 lakh people have been lodged in relief across the State, he said.
A government release said Mr. Vijayan spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the grave situation the State was facing following the rains. Kochi Metro to operate trainsKochi Metro will operate services as usual on August 16 despite flooding of the Muttom yard and a few metro station premises, a KMRL spokesperson said.“KMRL is closely monitoring the flood situation at Muttom. If the water level continues to go up, we may be forced to suspend our operations. The source of power is also becoming an issue because Kaloor 110kv substation has been shut down by KSEB at 10.29 p.m. Muttom depot is already surrounded by water and the road access to the depot has been cut off,” KMRL said.Meanwhile, train services from Thrissur to Ernakulam have been suspended due to rising water level of Periyar at Aluva bridge.
The trains in the opposite direction won't face any problem. Declines Kerala’s request to lower Mullaperiyar levelTamil Nadu has declined Kerala's request to lower water level in Mullaperiyar dam. Citing Supreme Court orders, Tamil Nadu said the entire inflow will be discharged, but the level will maintained at 142 ft.In response to reports of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s letter to his Tamil Nadu counterpart Edappadi K. Palaniswami, requesting him to lower the level up to 139 ft, a senior official of the State government in Chennai said that the “entire inflow” would be discharged and the water level maintained at 142 ft. The position was said to have been conveyed by the Principal Secretary (Public Works) S. Prabakar to his counterpart.Mullaperiyar dam @ 8 pmWater level: 142 ft (maximum capacity); storage: 12,758 mcft; inflow: 25,671 cusecs; discharge: 2,178 cusecs; surplus: 23,493 cusecs.12 shutters of the dam have been raised to 6 ft by 7.30 pm. People seek help through social mediaThe social media is flooded with distress calls from people who have been stranded in the flood-hit areas of Ranni, Kozhencherry, Aranmula and surrounding areas.A youth from Ranni-Thottamon, Jeffy Jacob, has made a distress call on the Facebook, seeking help to move out of his heavily flooded home.
His family, including his 90-year old grandfather, have sought refuge on the first floor of the house. The ground floor has been inundated.As many as 38 families are reportedly stranded in Kozhencherry.A four-member family sought help to move out of their flooded house near the Aranmula temple.Helicopter is being pressed into service for rescue operation in Ranni where as many as 300 families have been stranded.Fire Force has launched two boats in Aranmula for rescue operations. Kerala CM speaks to TN counterpartKerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami and urged him to take steps to draw more water from the Mullaperiyar dam so that the water level of the dam could be kept at 139 ft.The Chief Minister also called on Governor P. Sathasivam and apprised him about the flood situation and the steps being taken by the State government to rescue people in distress and provide relief to the flood-hit.Mr. Vijayan also spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to extend greater support to the State to manage the grave situation arising from the floods. The Punalur-Sengottai railway stretch is damaged at Kazhuruti three-puller bridge in Kollam.
Photo Credit:1. Train No.16724 Kollam - Chennai Egmore Ananthapuri express scheduled to leave Kollam on will be partially cancelled between Kollam and Nagercoil.2. Train No.22628 Thiruvananthapuram – Tiruchchirappalli Intercity express scheduled to leave Thiruvananathapuram on will be partially cancelled between Thiruvananthapuram and Nagercoil.3. Train No.16382 Kanniyakumari – Mumbai express scheduled to leave Kanniyakumari on will be diverted to run via.
Tirunelveli, Madurai, Dindigul and Erode. One dead in Kozhikode, over 7000 sheltered in relief campsOne person reportedly drowned in floods at Kodiyathur in Kozhikode district on Wednesday.
The victim has been identified as Abdul Rahiman, aged 64.While rains continue to pour in the district, over 7,000 people have been shifted to about 70 relief camps so far.Vehicular movement has been banned on the Kittiyadi Ghat road, an alternative route that links Kozhikode with Wayanad.The shutters of the already opened Kakkayam dam will be raised to three feet if the rains continue, officials said. Since this is likely to flood the Kuttiyadi river, the district administration has cautioned people residing in the vicinity. Sabarimala Tantri stranded at Pullumedu, can’t attend Niraputhari fete todayA large number of pilgrims who reached Pampa to attend Wednesday’s Niraputhari celebrations at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple could not proceed to the holy hillock owing to the swollen Pampa river.The police blocked the pilgrims on the western bank of the Pampa on the directions of the district administration, as crossing the river involved high risks.Meanwhile, temple chief priest (Tantri) Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) executive officer D. Sudheeshkumar, and other board staff who were diverted to Sabarimala via the Vallakkadavu-Pullumedu route got stranded at Pullumedu in the interior forests as they failed to reach the grasslands before sunset. Keep off Sabarimala for Niraputhari, TDB to pilgrimsThe Pampa Manalpuram on the foothills of Sabarimala has been once again flooded, with the Kerala State Electricity Board releasing more water from the Pampa and Kakki reservoirs of the Sabarigiri hydroelectric project on Monday.The base camp of Pampa, especially the bathing ghats and the Pampa Manalpuram that house toilet complexes, hotels, and shops, has been damaged in the floods.
The Travancore Devaswom Board has cautioned pilgrims against crossing the swollen river.In a statement on Monday, the TDB appealed to the pilgrims to avoid their trip to Sabarimala for Wednesday’s Niraputhari fete in view of the flood situation in the Pampa. The pilgrims will have to brave strong currents in the heavily flooded river to reach the Sannidhanam.Both the bridges across the Pampa have been inundated, isolating the Pampa Manalpuram from the mainland.TDB president A.Padmakumar advised the pilgrims against undertaking the pilgrimage till the floodwaters receded. Complaint against WhatsApp users in PalakkadMeanwhile, in Palakkad district, the administration has lodged a police complaint against a set of unidentified WhatsApp users who spread false information that the Collector had declared holidays for all educational institutions in the district on Thursday and Friday keeping in view the existing flood situation.The false message circulated widely had said the continuing holidays for two days would help children recover from the trauma and depression caused by the incessant rains. Water supply affected in AluvaExcept Aluva water treatment plant, most other smaller water schemes alongside the Periyar have been submerged.Aluva pump house is the main water treatment plant that provides 275 million litres a day (MLD) to Kochi city and most of the surrounding municipalities and some panchayats.A total of 30 mld is the total production of the smaller schemes that provide water in the rural areas. Of these, Muppathadam scheme producing between 15-20 mld and Vazhakkulam-Kizhakambalam (8mld) are the bigger ones.The rest are Vengoor, Okkal Malayattor, Neeleeswarm, Parakkadavu and Puthenvelikkaraschemes that produce 0.50 mld up to 4 mld. How to donate towards Kerala flood relief efforts:Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) accepts voluntary contributions from Individuals, Organizations, Trusts, Companies and Institutions etc.
All contributions towards CMDRF are exempt from Income Tax under section 80(G).Donations now accepted through UPI mobile app like BHIM, paytm, Tez, Phonepe also.(VPA: keralacmdrf@sbi) / Scan the QR Code to donateFor Bank Counter PaymentBeneficiary Name: Principal Secretary (Fin), Treasurer CMDRFBank Name: State Bank of India (SBI)Account Number: 2Branch: City Branch, ThiruvananthapuramIFSC: SBIN0070028For offline ContributionCheque/Demand Draft can be drawn in the favour of Principal Secretary (Finance), Treasurer CMDRF, payable at Thiruvananthapuram. The same may be posted/mailed to the following address:Principal Secretary (Finance)Treasurer CMDRFSecretariatThiruvananthapuram – 695 001Kerala, INDIAFor effective collaboration and communications between authorities, volunteers and public, the following website has been created(Information provided by the Chief Minister's Office, Kerala). Water level in Mullaperiyar dam touches 142 feet after 32 monthsFor third time since July 2014 when water level in Mullaperiyar dam was restored to 142 feet, the level in the reservoir has touched 142 feet at 12.50 p.m. On Wednesday.The entire inflow of 8,600 cusecs is being discharged into Kerala side through the surplus vents, according to Public Works Department Executive Engineer, T. Periyar dam has 7,666 mcft of storage.On previous two occasions, the water level has touched the maximum permissible level of 142 feet in November 2014 and December 2015.Tamil Nadu is drawing 2,187 cusecs of water through the tunnel for irrigating the ayacut in Cumbum valley in Theni district and also to replenish Vaigai dam. The level in Vaigai dam stood at 62.27 feet (71 feet).
Killi river overflow at bund road in Thiruvananthapuram following the heavy rain on Wednesday. Photo Credit:Train services through the Nagercoil-Thiruvanananthapuram section have been disrupted following a landslip between Kuzhithurai and Eraniel stations.Trains 16128 Guruvayur-Chennai-Egmore Express, 16382 Kanniyakumari-Mumbai CSMT Express, 15906 Dibrugarh-Kanniyakumari Vivek Express and 19424 Gandhidham-Tirunelveli Humsafar Express are delayed owing to the landslip.Trains 56318 Nagercoil-Kochuveli passenger and 56317 Kochuveli-Nagercoil passenger have been cancelled. Breaking the boundary wall of Cochin International Airport Limited to facilitate the outflow of water Photo Credit:The Cochin International Airport authorities have expressed doubts if the airport operations can resume Saturday afternoon as water level continued to rise on Wednesday. Workmen are now engaged in breaking down a portion of the compound wall to let out rising water even as three heavy duty motors are being used to pump out water. The airport operations area, including the runways, are under three to four feet water.
The western compound wall has prevented free outflow of water and that is being broken down partially. All airport operations have been suspended, according to an earlier notification till 2 pm on Saturday. Water released from Idukki to be increasedKSEB is proposing that water be released gradually from the Idukki reservoir keeping in mind the weather conditions and the release of water from Mullaperiyar Dam.
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According to the proposal, at 11 a.m. The water released from the Idukki reservoir would be increased by 200 cumecs to 1200 cumecs, and 100 cumecs each every hour until it reaches 1500 cumecs at 2 p.m.Idukki, Ernakulam and Kottayam District Collectors have been notified of this plan and have been requested to take required precautionary measures. An entire village evacuated in KozhikodeAll the residents of Kannappankundu village in Kerala’s Kozhikode district have been evacuated following Tuesday’s landslips as heavy rains continued on Wednesday mid-morning up in the hills and strong run-offs are feared.The National Disaster Relief Force with extensive support from local NGOs and individual volunteers helped people relocate to safer areas and relief camps. Two dozen houses have been totally destroyed while several others have suffered extensive damage. Almost all roads in the village, which is part of Puthuppaddi panchayat, some 45 km from Kozhikode city, have been washed off. 3 of family buried alive in MalappuramThree members of a family were buried alive when their house caved in under a landslip at Kaithakkunda near Pulikkal in Malappuram district in the early hours of Wednesday.Azeez, 42, wife Suneera, 35, and son Ubaid, 6, were killed while sleeping around 1.30 a.m.
Their house collapsed on them under the weight of the mud and soil that covered the house. Their elder sons Uwais, 19, and Unais, 17, who were sleeping in another room, escaped with injuries.Rescue workers had to struggle to take out the bodies of the victims and to shift the injured siblings to hospital.
There were fears of fresh landslips even as the rescue continued with caution. Neyyar dam shutters raised by over 30 cmFor the first time in over two decades, the shutters of the Neyyar dam in Thiruvananthapuram has been raised by 12 inches (30.48 cm).The copious rainfall received in its catchment areas during the last night has necessitated further opening of the shutters. Sources said that the shutters were opened to the particular level for the first time since 1994.While the maximum capacity of the dam is 84.75 m, the water has risen to a level of 84.6 m.The shutters of the Aruvikkara dam in Thiruvananthapuram have also been raised owing to the overnight rain. Among its six shutters, shutters number 2, 4 and 5 have been raised by 150 cm and shutters number 1 and 6 by 50 cm.Three of the four shutters of the Peppara dam in the district have also been raised by 50 cm each.
Traffic disrupted along Kozhikode -Kollegal highwayKozhikode -Kollegal NH 766 has been flooded at Thakarrapady and Ponkuzhi near Muthanga in the district on the Kerala-Karnataka border on Wednesday morning. Vehicular movement has been blocked at Muthanga with the assistance of Police. District administration has intimated the Karnataka forest officials to block the traffic at Madhur in Karnataka. Police is camping at the site.Meanwhile, road links between Pattambi and Thrissur remains completely severed with Bharathapuzha flowing above the mega bridge in Pattambi. Water level in Mullaiperiyar likely to touch maximum permissible levelGushing inflow is forcing water level in Mullaperiyar dam to increase rapidly, as on Wednesday.
The level is likely to touch the maximum permissible level of 142 feet by noon after which more water would be discharged into the Kerala side, according to Tamil Nadu Public Works Department.Tamil Nadu PWD issued the first flood warning to Kerala at 2.30 a.m. On Wednesday as and when the level touched 140 feet. As a precautionary measure 4,489 cusecs of water was released.“The inflow had swelled and we had to start the release early to avoid rush flow into the Mullaperiyar river (to Kerala side). Hence, we started to discharge water with a plan to gradually increase it,” said Executive Engineer of Periyar-Vaigai Basin Circle, T. Kochi airport suspends operationsCochin International Airport operations suspended to/from till 2 p.m.
Due to flood level in and around the airport. Heavy water pumps have been put in service to contain the situation.Meanwhile, Aluva, on the banks of river Periyar, is seeing water level rise once again after heavy overnight rain.
The iconic Shiva temple looks almost submerged Wednesday morning. The district administration has started evacuation of flood affected people at several places in Ernakulam.