Commuters make their way through a flooded road following rains in Kerala.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy pre-monsoon rains caused extensive damages in parts of north Kerala on Tuesday.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded a red alert in four districts - Wayanad, Kasargod, Kannur and Kozhikode.
There are also reports that there could be an early onset of southwest monsoon. The IMD already forecasted an early onset by May 27.
Parts of NH-66 which were under construction collapsed and developed cracks at some spots triggering strong protest from local people and political parties.
National Highway-66 under construction suffered damages in at least three spots. While a portion of the NH collapsed at Kooriyad in Malappuram district on Monday, cracks developed in parts of the NH in nearby Thalappara on Tuesday.
Damage to the NH were also reported from Kanhangad in Kasargod and Malaparambu in Kozhikode. The damages were mostly found in elevated stretches.
While Congress and local people alleged that unscientific constriction at the wet land region caused the damage, NHAI officials maintained that pore water pressure led to the collapse.
Local people said that many streams were blocked owing to construction of the elevated stretches by filling land instead of constructing fly-over.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the state government would take up the matter seriously and initiated necessary corrective steps. The state public works department is also inquiring into the reasons for the NH collapse.
At some low lying parts of Kannur and Kozhikode houses were flooded in the heavy rains. Incidents of building, wall suffering damages and trees being uprooting were also reported from various parts of the state.