18 killed in landslides and heavy rains in Kerala

Agencies

August 9, 2018

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 9: At least 18 people were killed as heavy rains and landslides hit parts of Kerala on Thursday, officials said.

According to the disaster control room sources, 10 people were killed in landslides in Idukki, five in Malappuram, two in Kannur and one in Wayanad district. Three persons are missing -- one each in Wayanad, Palakkad and Kozhikode districts.

Five members of a family lost their lives in Idukki's Adimali town. Two persons were pulled out alive from the debris by the local people and police.

Around 600 cusecs of water were discharged from the Idamalayar dam this morning, with the water level rising to 169.95 metres against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 169m. The water level at Idukki dam was 2,398 at 8 am, 50 feet against the FRL of 2,403 feet. The administration has been put on high-alert.

Due to heavy rains and resultant floods in Kozhikode and Waynad districts, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has been moved to Kozhikode. Two teams have been sought from the Centre for north Kerala.

Educational institutions have declared a holiday in Idukki, Kollam and some other districts due to the rains.

Comments

Unbelievable. Still raining.

Rest in peace

Still raining heavily in Kerala!

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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