School Holiday Announcement Delayed: Kannur Collector Faces Backlash Amid Heavy Rain

In response to the ongoing heavy rainfall in Kannur, Kerala, the district collector has faced significant criticism for the delay in announcing a school holiday on December 2, 2024. Despite the adverse weather conditions, including continuous rain and an Orange Alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the decision to declare a holiday for schools and educational institutions came later than anticipated.

The delay in communication has caused frustration among parents and residents, particularly since many students were already on their way to school when the announcement was made. The authorities eventually declared a holiday for schools across seven districts, including Kannur, due to the weather warnings and safety concerns. Some schools had already decided to close independently, but the delayed announcement by the district collector prompted widespread criticism online.

As the region continues to deal with the impacts of Cyclone Fengal, local officials are under mounting pressure to improve decision-making processes during severe weather events. On Sunday, December 1, the IMD had issued red alerts for four districts in Kerala for Monday, warning of heavy rainfall across the state.

The weather department has predicted extremely heavy rainfall in northern districts like Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, and Kannur. IMD also forecasted light to moderate rainfall across several areas, with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall expected on Sunday and Monday. Furthermore, an orange alert has been issued for Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, and Thrissur, while a yellow alert was declared for other districts, including Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, and Kasaragod.

The IMD categorizes the alerts based on expected rainfall amounts: a red alert indicates rainfall exceeding 20 cm in 24 hours, an orange alert signifies very heavy rainfall between 11 and 20 cm, and a yellow alert warns of heavy rainfall ranging from 6 to 11 cm.