The Kerala government said that more water needs to be released from the Idukki water reservoir system to control the rising water level because of heavy rain. The government has warned that the Periyar river is likely to swell further because of this. A third red alert was issued for the Idukki reservoir, the gates of which were opened yesterday after 26 years. Today, two more gates of one of the dams of the reservoir were opened to control the swelling water which is nearing the full capacity. The army, the navy, the air force and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working on evacuation and relief operations. The weather office has warned of heavy rain today in several other districts. Schools and colleges are closed today in the hilly Idukki district, Wayanad, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta districts. 26 people have been killed so far. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan yesterday and offered all possible assistance to those affected.
