As many as 32 people who had gone fishing from various parts of the State were rescued on Monday. These included fishermen who were rescued by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard, and brought to the Naval base in Kochi and the Ponnani fishing harbour in Malappuram.
Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma, in a late evening interview to a private channel, said that some fishermen who had been missing were also rescued in Goa. She added that 91 fishermen were yet to be traced, while the death toll stood at 31.
According to official sources, a total of 793 fishermen from the State had been rescued since the launch of the Operation Synergy. These included 131 Keralites who were brought to safety at the Devgad and Rathnagiri Ports of Maharashtra.
Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the affected areas in Vizhinjam and Poonthura, and also held talks with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to assess the ongoing operation.
The authorities have cautioned fishermen from venturing into the sea during the next 24 hours. According to a joint bulletin issued by the Indian Meteorological Department and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, waves with maximum heights in the range of 3 to 5 metres are forecast off the coast of Kerala from Vizhinjam to Kasaragod.
The number of relief camps that continued to function across the State is 34. As many as 1,445 families have been temporarily rehabilitated in the camps.
The Coast Guard stations, along the west coast, are interacting with fishermen and are assisting them with first aid and food as required.
The fishermen are also being counselled to remain inside the harbour and to not venture out at sea till the system dissipates.
Further, the oil handling agencies in offshore development areas have also been advised to initiate cyclone contingency measures and initiate necessary evacuation of personnel from oil platforms well in time.
(With PTI inputs)
