With rains ebbing away, Kerala got some respite on Monday but faced the gigantic task of rehabilitating those rendered homeless and preventing outbreak of water-borne diseases, even as the death toll mounted to 216, officials said, adding that over 7.24 lakh displaced people have been sheltered in 5,645 relief camps dotting the state, reports PTI .
After five days of extremely heavy rain and floods that ravaged several parts of Kerala, Sunday brought respite following a gradual decrease in rainfall and receding water levels in the flood-affected areas, particularly Chengannur and Chalakudy.
Shashi Tharoor to consult UN on Kerala floods
Former Under Secretary General of United Nations and MP of Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor said that he will meet with the United Nations and international humanitarian agencies for consultations on the Kerala floods.
"Landed in Geneva to meet with United Nations & international humanitarian agencies for consultations on Kerala floods," Mr. Tharoor wrote on Twitter. "While seeking help is the prerogative of the Govt of India, I am here, in close consultation with Chief Minister of Kerala to explore what help could be possible if sought," he added.
'You are creating history,' Thiruvananthapuram Collectors tells volunteers
Thiruvananthapuram District Collector K. Vasuki lauded those who have been volunteering in the State capital for the last few days.
"You are creating history," she said to the volunteers and added that the spirit she saw was no less important that that was seen during the freedom struggle. "You are showing the world what Malayalis can do," she added.
Airlines start service to Cochin naval airport
Alliance Air has commenced scheduled air services Cochin naval airport with ATR-72 aircraft. IndiGo would also be commencing scheduled operations there with effect from August 21.
Details of Flight Schedule Approved by DGCA are as follows:
Alliance Air:
- Bengaluru-Cochin-Bengaluru (2 flights)
- Chennnai-Trichy-Cochin-Chennai (1 flight)
- Hyderabad-Bengaluru-Cochin-Hyderabad (1 flight)
IndiGo:
- Bengaluru-Cochin-Bengaluru (1 flights)
- Bengaluru-Cochin-Chennai (1 flight)
DGCA said that monitoring of airfare carried out on August 20 has revealed that maximum fares on various domestic non-stop direct routes to/from Kerala and nearby airports remained within the limits specified. It added that based on the request received from Kerala Government to facilitate them in air dropping of relief material, DGCA has permitted three helicopter operators Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd., Ghodawat and Devengere for carrying out aerial dropping of flood relief material.
SC judges contribute ₹25000 each to Kerala flood relief
All the 25 judges of the Supreme Court will each contribute ₹25,000 to the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts in the aftermath of floods in Kerala .
Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Monday revealed in open court that judges of the Supreme Court are contributing financially to the relief efforts underway. “We are also making some contributions to the Kerala flood relief. Judges of this court individually will give to the relief effort,” the Chief Justice said.
Volunteer groups augment rescue efforts in Aluva
The volunteer rescue boat that ventured into flooded Aluva on August 16 had a motley crew of four fishers, two bank employees and a software engineer.
The unlikely group were part of a mostly disorganised but highly effective non-State-controlled civilian effort that saved hundreds marooned on homes and apartments abutting the Periyar River.
The disaster had overwhelmed the Government’s disaster response resources. Public-minded citizens had stepped in to help.
Govt says Kerala floods ‘calamity of severe nature’
The Central government has said Kerala floods as a calamity of severe nature, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.
"An inter-ministerial team led by MoS Kiren Rijiju visited Kerala on July 21, the visit of the team is only done when the natural calamity has been assessed as that of serious nature, so from the start Kerala floods were natural calamity of serious nature" a Home Ministry official said.
Generously contribute to help Kerala, Parliament urges MLAs
In Parliament, Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan urged the Members of Parliament to generously contribute from their MPLADS funds for relief and rehabilitation works in Kerala besides considering to donate their one month’s salary for the same. Both the Presiding Officers of Parliament took the lead by announcing their decision to donate their one month salary for relief works in Kerala.
They said — Hon’ble Members are aware that there has been large scale devastation in various parts of Kerala due to floods in the State in which many people have lost their lives and thousands are left stranded besides heavy damage to property. Keeping in view the intensity and magnitude of the floods in Kerala, the Government of India has declared this a calamity of a ‘severe nature’.
Paragraph 2.8 of the Guidelines of Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme reads as follows:
“In the event of ‘Calamity of severe nature’ in any part of the country, an MP can recommend works up to a maximum of R₹1 crore for the affected district”.
We appeal to all the Members of Parliament to contribute generously from their MPLADS funds for relief and rehabilitation works in the affected areas of Kerala, as permissible under the MPLADS Guidelines, accordingly." Vice President Naidu said.
Wives of Collector, SP offer solace and care
The better halves of District Collector and District Police Superintendent have ventured out offering solace and care for the flood affected at the relief camps here.
District Collector Amit Meena's wife Samyukta at a relief camp in Malappuram.
District Collector Amit Meena’s wife Samyukta and District Police Chief Prateesh Kumar’s wife Roli Chauhan joined hands to provide solace care for the children of the fondling home shifted to a relief camp functioning at the District Panchayat conference hall. They also visited relief camps at Vaidyarangadi, Aroor and Cherumuttam.
DMO shows superchlorination in video
Malappuram district administration has produced a video to help the flood-affected people disinfect their wells and other water sources. The video is being circulated widely through the social media and the official pages of the district administration.
The three-and-half minute video shows District Medical Officer (DMO) K. Sakeena demonstrating the method of superchlorination to one of the affected families.
Dr. Sakeena says that the amount of chlorine used for superchlorination should be in proportion to the quantity of water in the well. “For 1,000 litres of water, we should use five grams of chlorine,” she says.
The water in a normal well can be measured in terms of the number of rings it has. “Each ring of well can roughly be estimated to contain 1,000 litres of water. So a well with 20 rings can supposedly contain 20,000 litres of water,” Dr. Sakeena says.
The DMO takes the required quantity of chlorine for a well in a bucket, then makes a paste of that by adding some water, and then adds three-fourths of a bucketful of water to it. After stirring the content, she allows it to sediment.
After the sedimentation, the clear chlorine water is poured into another bucket and then lowered into the well using a rope. After chlorinating the well, water should not be used for one hour.
Dr. Sakeena advises people to boil the water for 20 minutes for drinking even after superchlorination. “You can use this water for any domestic use. But you must boil it for 20 minutes for drinking.”
Superchlorination should be done every day for a week. Then for the next week, it should be done twice a week. “For the next couple of weeks, superchlorination should be done weekly,” the DMO says.
Male to contribute towards Kerala flood relief
The Government of Maldives will donate $50,000 (roughly ₹ 35 lakhs) towards flood relief in Kerala , authorities said.
The donation, according to a statement issued by the President’s office late Sunday, is being made as “a token contribution in solidarity with the people of India, for the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit state of Kerala.”
Keralite in Oman loses job for insensitive social media post
A Keralite working in Sultanate of Oman in a supermarket has been terminated from his job following a highly insensitive post he wrote in the wake of the worst-ever floods in the State.
Rahul C. Palayattu who works as cashier at the Lulu Hypermarket, Bousher, has been handed his termination letter that stated that the action is prompted by his highly insensitive and derogatory comment in his post.
On a post that requested for sanitary napkins to be supplied at various relief camps at the earliest, he added that condoms too can be sent.
In conversation with Ernakulam District Collector
Ensure that relief reaches migrant workers: CM Vijayan
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a review meeting that officials should ensure that the relief also reaches State’s interstate migrant workers.
"There are thousands of migrant workers in the affected areas, many of who lack shelter & food," he wrote on Twitter.
The Labour Department has embarked on a mission to keep a close watch on migrant workers, especially those who worked in the flood-stricken areas of the State. A centralised coordination cell has commenced functioning at the ‘Shramik Bandhu’ facilitation centre at the KSRTC bus stand complex at Thampanoor to ensure the well-being of migrant workers.
School certificates to be reissued soon: Education Minister
Education Minister C. Raveendranath said that the school certificates lost in the floods will be reissued from respective schools as early as possible.
Kozhikode gears up for extensive cleaning drives
Kozhikode District administration plans to launch an extensive drive on August 23 for cleaning and repairing public places that have been damaged during the flood. Call centres have been opened to coordinate the cleaning of houses, through which electricians and plumbers are available. Registration of volunteers is also in progress.
Reports suggest that local people have sponsored one year rent for all those who have lost their houses completely in Puthupady grama panchayat. District Collector U.V. Jose said that revenue department did not have to spend any money to run 300 relief camps in Kozhikode district as it was entirely crowdfunded.
As of now 81 relief camps are functioning in Kozhikode district. A total of 12,000 people are sheltered in four taluks in the district .
Formulate long-term rehabilitation plan: HC tells State
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court suggested that the State government start immediately the exercise of assessment of the damages caused in the flood and also formulating a long term concrete rehabilitation plan.
The Bench made the suggestion when a public interest litigation seeking a directive to the Centre to declare the situation in the State as national disaster came up for hearing.
The petition has been filed by A.A. Shibi, a High Court lawyer.
₹500 crore worth loss at Kochi airport
The Cochin International Airport authorities said that the losses from the cancellation of operations and flooding of all airport facilities have resulted in a loss to the tune of at least ₹500 crore.
The airport authority has deployed around 200 people to clean the terminal building.
Airline operation from Cochin International Airport has been suspended till August 26 owing to flooding of the premises. In the meantime, flights to and from Kochi will commence from Monday as the authorities have made arrangements at the local naval air station for civilian flights.
Buses contribute in their own style
Several bus owners and employees in Malappuram district have offered their day's income to the State flood relief.
The banner in front of the bus says: "All the revenue from today's ride, including the salary of the employees of the bus, will be contributed to the disaster relief fund."
Buses are plying by sporting a banner announcing their act of charity, prompting many passengers to give much more than their ticket fare. Buses conducting services in remote villages in Malappuram often engage in such acts of solicitude to help raise funds for treatment of major ailments for the poor.
Over 50,000 people rescued in Ernakulam
Rescue operations in the flood-ravaged Ernakulam district is technically over with more than 50,000 rescued in the last four days, says district collector Mohammed Y. Safirulla.
Only those stranded at Kuthiyathodu in North Paravur and Poovathussery in Parakkadavu block in Angamaly remain to be evacuated. “We are waiting for the road to those areas to become accessible,” Mr. Safirulla told The Hindu in a video interview at the rescue and operation centre set up at Pathadipalam near Kalamassery on Monday morning.
The death toll in the district has been pegged at 14 for the time being. However, the exact figure would be known probably in a week after processing the data of missing persons. Chances are many of them might be in some relief camps, said the collector.
Flood situation in Thrissur remains grim
The flooding situation continues to be grim in south-west areas in Thrissur district. 42 villages remain inundated. Around 60,000 people from these villages have been shifted to relief camps. Thousands of families in panchayats like Edathiruthy, Kaipamangalam, Perinjanam and Mathilakam on the banks of Canolly canal are in relief camps.
Efforts are on to build a bund across Karivannur river at Arattupuzha. Experts from Kuttanad have started building a bund with the advice of Army engineers.
The Army medical team has been deployed to Kuzhur and Kundur — the most affected areas in Thrissur district.
Anti-venom for snake bites has been arranged in five hospitals — Thrissur Medical College, Jubilee Mission Medical College Hospital, Irinjalakuda and Kodungallur Government Hospitals and Irinjalakuda Cooperative Hospital. The Health Department has asked people returning home to be careful about poisonous snakes. Six persons have suffered snake bite in Thrissur district on Sunday alone.
Fuel shortage in Malappuram
The district is facing a heavy shortage of petrol and diesel even as an all-out effort is on to bring life back to normalcy in the wake of the largest floods that devastated Kerala.
Long queues at a petrol bunk at Malappuram, August 20, 2018
Kochi Mayor cancels daughter's wedding celebrations, donates money for flood relief
Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain has cancelled the wedding reception planned for her daughter Padmini and has decided to contribute the money earmarked for the celebration to the Chief Minister's flood relief fund. The wedding was to be held at Kochi on August 23.
Both the families of the bride and bridegroom decided to do away with the celebration and the reception. Now, the wedding will be a private function.
Mental health helpline in Kozhikode
The Kozhikode district mental health project and the Mental Health Centre have launched a live phone-in helpline to help mentally distressed people in flooded affected areas. The facility will be available from 9 a.m to 5 p.m The phone numbers are ( 8281904533 , 8891224443 , 8848813956 )
Life kits for survivors in Kochi
Volunteers at the relief camp in Kochi will provide life kits to the flood victims who are going back to their homes. The kit will contain 5kg rice, pulses, salt, sugar, dhothis and nighties, mosquito repellants, toothpaste and toothbrush. Biscuits, tea dust, towels and two sets of undergarments will also be included in the kit. The kits are compiled at the camp from the relief materials collected from different sources.
Those who returned to their homes early were provided clothes, said doctors at the relief camp.
Relief material from across India arrives at Cochin Port
Relief material shipped from different parts of India have started arriving at the Cochin Port.
Naval ship INS Deepak, carrying relief materials from Mumbai, arrived with about 800 tonnes of fresh water and 18 tonnes of provisions.
The fresh water is being filled in 2 barges for supply to the affected areas and provisions are being unloaded to trucks for distribution. Another consignment of five containers of relief material sent by the shipping fraternity will arrive at the port tonight. Relief material mobilized by all major ports under Ministry of Shipping is being consolidated at VOC Port Trust, Tuticorin and these are expected to arrive here in the coming days.
Anti-venom being sourced
The Wildlife Trust of India and a few doctors are sourcing anti-venom from a Pune-based firm for Kerala as there is the high possibility of incidents of snake bite in the post-flood scenario. A map of hospitals where anti-venom is available and a pictorial map of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes will be circulated. A Whatsapp group of snake rescuers too will be launched.
People in Kozhikode relief camps start returning home
Kozhikode is limping back to normal as relief and rehabilitation continued on Monday. Water levels have started to recede. At least 50% of the inmates of the government-sponsored relief camps have left for their respective homes.
NSS volunteers of Providence College in Kozhikode, August 20, 2018
As of now, 23,000 people are still sheltered at 150 camps in four taluks in the district.
Alliance Air flight lands at Kochi Navy airport
An Alliance Air flight from Bengaluru lands at Kochi naval airport, August 20, 2018
An Alliance Air flight from Bengaluru carrying 71 passengers landed at Kochi Navy airport this morning. The airport had stopped commercial operations nearly two decades ago. Indigo has plans to operate ATR flights from the Naval Airport. It has 8 ATRs in service, and will carry out a trial run in the afternoon.
Kerala pulls off the near-impossible, but work half done
Not everything went right. There were huge slips. There were also those hours of despair and helplessness. But Kerala stood firm, braving the swirling waters and the heavy odds germane to an unprecedented catastrophe, to pull off a near-impossible rescue and relief operation spread over almost its entire stretch.
Special proposal needed for additional Central aid
The State government will have to submit a special proposal to the Central government for securing additional assistance to manage the havoc wreaked by the floods.
Sources privy to the procedures told The Hindu here that furnishing the proposal with specific details regarding the damage sustained in different realms such as agriculture, road and other infrastructure facilities, the Union Cabinet could consider it as a special case and grant the assistance.
The Centre has already rated the flood as a Level I disaster as per the National Disaster Management Plan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a preliminary relief of ₹500 crore.
Central aid inadequate: Yechury
Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday visited the relief camps and material collection centres in Thiruvananthapuram. In the morning, he visited a relief camp at Kalady and later the relief material collection centre at SMV Higher Secondary School. He commended the young volunteers for the hard work they had put in over the past few days.
How to donate towards Kerala flood relief efforts:
Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) accepts voluntary contributions from Individuals, Organizations, Trusts, Companies and Institutions etc. All contributions towards CMDRF are exempt from Income Tax under section 80(G).
Donations now accepted through UPI mobile app like BHIM, paytm, Tez, Phonepe also. (VPA : keralacmdrf@sbi) / Scan the QR Code to donate
For Bank Counter Payment
Beneficiary Name : Principal Secretary (Fin), Treasurer CMDRF
Bank Name : State Bank of India (SBI)
Account Number : 67319948232
Branch : City Branch, Thiruvananthapuram
IFSC : SBIN0070028
For offline Contribution
Cheque/Demand Draft can be drawn in the favour of Principal Secretary (Finance), Treasurer CMDRF, payable at Thiruvananthapuram. The same may be posted/mailed to the following address:
Principal Secretary (Finance)
Treasurer CMDRF
Secretariat
Thiruvananthapuram – 695 001
Kerala, INDIA
For effective collaboration and communications between authorities, volunteers and public, the following website has been created http://keralarescue.in/
(Information provided by the Chief Minister's Office, Kerala)
