Kerala has so far received 2346.6 mm rains against the normal of 1649.5 mm, according to IMD. “What is being done is appreciable but we need more help from the Centre and other states as Kerala is in distress”. Most of our water treatment plants are submerged. “So we will accept all help”, the Chief Minister said, revealing the extent of a tragedy which has not hit the state since 1924.
Advertisement
The India Meteorological Department withdrew a red alert in all 14 districts yesterday as flood waters began to recede from several places, but more rain may still fall in the coming days. He promised more assistance to the rescue-and-relief effort.
Flight schedule for Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India. Its a 70-seater small flight. Kerala Chief Minister confirmed on Saturday that the death toll due to the floods has increased to 357. From Odisha fire service personnel to buses from Karnataka’s state transport corporations, to lawmakers and IAS officials donating salaries, there have been many heartening stories of people and organisations rallying to help. Chief Ministers of various states have offered financial aid to Pinarayi Vijayan. President assured the people of the state that entire nation was with them. It is scheduled to remain closed until August 26.
The central government has also made a decision to give ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the family of those killed in the floods and Rs 50,000 to the injured. The deaths on Saturday were reported from Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Chengannur districts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a brief air inspection tour of the state Saturday and announced an immediate grant of $75 million. “Please, please!” state legislator Saji Cherian said on a Kerala-based TV news channel, the Indian Express newspaper reported.
Reporting from Mumbai, NPR’s Lauren Frayer says that, “tens of thousands of people have been rescued from flooded homes. but many more are stranded”.
Thousands of army, navy and air force troops have fanned out across Kerala to assist as distress calls sound out across the idyllic tourist hotspot. One of the state’s major airports, in the city of Kochi, was closed this past Tuesday due to the flooding. Some 350,000 people have been left homeless and taken shelter in relief camps.
The Railways informed that trains have been running to Thiruvananthapuram via Erode and Madurai. The NDRF has evacuated more than 10,000 people from rain and flood-battered areas.
But even as help poured into Kerala from all over the country and overseas, some vendors made a killing because of food shortages. Relief and rescue operations are still on war-footing.
He said it’s devastating to see the state he grew up in face such destruction. This includes 33 people who were found dead over the weekend.
Muddy homes, utensils strewn all over and furniture turned upside down greeted some of them as they come back.
But there were reports of fresh rains from these places resulting in a decrease in the water levels.
Advertisement
“Our life has been destroyed”. The release said, Support under National Health Mission will be provided to make the damaged primary health care infrastructure functional.
