Kerala District Collectors Warn Against Spreading Fake Rain Holiday News
At least two district collectors in Kerala, Kozhikode, and Palakkad, have issued warnings against the dissemination of fake news regarding the holiday for schools in the context of heavy rainfall. They emphasized the importance of relying on official social media handles for updates and cautioned against trusting WhatsApp forwards.
In the case of Kozhikode, even though a holiday had been declared for educational institutions, fake news about the same started circulating about two hours before the official announcement. A poster bearing the Kozhikode district administration’s logo, declaring the holiday, was widely shared at around 6 pm. However, the District Information Officer promptly alerted Collector A Geetha about the fake content, prompting an official response.
Collector A Geetha clarified the situation in a Facebook post, stating that the holiday was declared at 7.45 pm after an emergency meeting of the disaster management authority. She also warned that strict action would be taken against those responsible for spreading fake news and posters.
Similarly, Dr. S Chithra, District Collector of Palakkad, issued a Facebook post refuting the fake news regarding a holiday in the district. She categorically stated that there was no holiday scheduled for July 25 and warned that legal action would be taken against those spreading false information in her name. As there was only a yellow alert for the district on Tuesday, she emphasized the need to keep educational institutions open.
Both district collectors emphasized that holiday updates would be shared only through official social media pages and advised the public not to trust WhatsApp forwards. They are taking the matter seriously to prevent the spread of misinformation and maintain public trust in official announcements.
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