Monsoon lessens its fury over Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, June 2 (UNI) Kerala heaved a sigh of relief as the south west monsoon, which had played havoc for the past one week killing 30 people, forcing thousands of people to relief camps and damaging standing crops and houses, lessened its fury today.

However the monsoon claimed 30 lives, with three more deaths reported today. The body of Jinesh (24), who was washed away in the Gayathri river in Alathur in Palakkad, was fished out in the morning, sources said and Shankaranarayanan (48) was drowned in a pond in Chunangadu in the same district.

In Ernakulam, 13 year old Sreejith's body was found from the ditch in which he fell, they said.

With water receding from low lying areas, people have started to move out of the relief camps. However, it is estimated that more than 10,000 people were still in the relief camps.

The rivers which were flowing above danger mark continued to remain so and dams were filling up with good rains in the catchment areas.

About 3,000 houses were damaged, some of them completely and the loss was estimated at Rs seven crore.

Meanwhile, state Agriculture Minister Mullakara Ratnakaran said the state had incurred an agricultural loss of about Rs 14.5 crore till yesterday.

The coastal areas in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and Kozhikode continued to be under the threat of soil erosion as the sea was very rough.

According to the Meteorological department, the monsoon was weak over the state. The highest rainfall of three cm was recorded at Kannur. Agathi, Ameni, Minicoi, Chalakudy, Kodungaloor, Kasargode, Mananthawadi and Thalassery recorded one cm rains each, it said.

The Met office also warned of heavy rains in Kerala and Lakshadweep. They said strong onshore winds with a speed of 50 to 60 kmph would lash the Kerala coast and Lakshadweep.

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