CM's Idukki visit aborted due to bad weather

Thiruvananthapuram: A six-member team led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has headed off to the flood-affected areas of the state early on Saturday.

They started their journey around 7.45 am from Shankumugham air force technical area. The CM is being accompanied by revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan, opposite leader Ramesh Chennithala, state police chief Loknath Behra, Chief Secretary Tom Jose and additional Chief Secretary (revenue) P H Kurien.

But their visit to Idukki was aborted as the helicopter could not land due to bad weather. The team will survey Wayanad and Ernakulam districts.

Though the team planned to visit six places, later it was reduced as three due to bad weather.

The Chief Minister and his team will review the situations at Sulthan Bathery and Panamaram in Wayanad.

With all five shutters of Cheruthoni dam being opened on Friday, several parts of Cheruthoni town remained inaccessible as the gushing waters inundated the bridge connecting the hill station to the rest of the world and the bus stand.

However, people residing near the banks of Periyar River heaved a sigh of relief as the water subsided on Saturday morning following substantial dip in the rainfall in the catchment areas of Idukki reservoir.

Kerala on Friday had issued a red alert for eight worst-hit districts as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy downpour in Kerala.