The Kerala government on Sunday sought a support of ₹1,220 crore as flood relief from the Centre. It has estimated the flood-related loss as around ₹8,316 crore. The State also sought a fresh central team for assessing the full damage.
After several continuous days of rain, floods and landslips, Kerala got a breather on Saturday, with a respite from rain and falling water levels in major dams. However, the State remained on alert, with over 60,000 persons displaced in four districts.
Also read: NDMA warns of heavy rainfall in 16 States including Kerala in next two days
The Met Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in most places in Idukki, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Wayanad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts over the next three days, putting them on ‘red alert.’
Also read: Here’s how Twitter can save you from fake news about the floods
Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has urged PM Narendra Modi to release sufficient funds to the Kerala government to help respond to the flood crisis and restore critical infrastructure in the State.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Gandhi said the torrential rain, floods and wide-scale landslips have left behind a trail of destruction across the State.
Read our previous days' coverage here , here and here .
Damaged passports to be replaced free of cost: Swaraj
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj announces that passports damaged in floods in Kerala will be replaced free of cost by the government. “There are unprecedented floods in Kerala causing huge damage. We have decided that as the situation becomes normal, passports damaged on account (of) floods shall be replaced free of charge. Please contact the concerned Passport Kendras,” Ms. Swaraj tweets.
20,000 houses, 10,000 km of State roads damaged: Kerala CMO
“CM has requested an amount of ₹400 crore in addition to the ₹820 crore already sought for carrying out the immediate relief & rehabilitation. CM also requested that a Central team may be sent again to assess the damages that have occurred during the last week,” the Kerala Chief Minister's Office says in a series of tweets.
“The impact of the disaster is likely to be felt for a long time. Preliminary assessment indicate that nearly 20,000 houses have been fully damaged and nearly 10,000 km of State PWD roads damaged. The preliminary loss is around ₹8,316 crore.
“Between 9th and 12th of this month, 37 lives have been lost and 5 persons are still missing. So far, 186 lives have been lost in the heavy rainfalls and floods. There had been 211 landslides. Tens of thousands are in the relief camps.”
Rajnath announces ₹100 crore immediate central relief
Rajnath Singh along with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan taking an aerial survey of the flood situation in Kerala.
Rajnath Singh along with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan taking an aerial survey of the flood situation in Kerala.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has announced ₹100 crore support for Kerala to deal with the flood situation. The announcement comes after after his visit to flood-hit areas. He also offered to send more teams of national disaster relief force if required.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Tourism Minister K.J. Alphonse, and State Ministers were also present.
Mr. Singh terms the floods as an unprecedented one in the history of the State. He also offers support for the rehabilitation of the flood-hit people and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.
Defence personnel provide war-front like services
Evacuating those stranded from gushing flood waters to removing huge granite blocks on roads —the defence personnel are providing war-front like services in the hamlets of rain-hit Kerala.
As torrential rains had thrown normal life out of gear in many parts of Kerala, the personnel of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard have sprung into action, extending all support to local people and authorities to face the deluge.
Since then, the defence personnel are tirelessly working 24x7 in evacuating hapless people from isolated places, constructing temporary bridges, repairing and clearing roads in villages of Kerala, braving incessant rains and landslip threats.
They are also unhesitatingly joining hands with local authorities in distributing food articles and organising medical camps in many places.
Army personnel have helped bring tribals living in remote settlements to the rehabilitation camps in mainlands in high range Idukki and Wayanad districts, authorities said.
The Army has titled the relief work in Kerala as ’Operation Sahyog’ (cooperation).
The photographs of Army personnel lifting huge uprooted trees in a flood-hit zone and the personnel of Indian Naval Academy (INA) evacuating persons in Wayanad have become instant hits on social media.
The Army on August 12 helped accommodate a total of 187 people, hailing from hamlets of Korangatti, Pettimudi, Talamali, Chettupara, Plamala and so on in the six relief camps of Adimali in Idukki.
Situation in Kerala ‘very serious’: Rajnath
The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who surveyed the flood situation in the State, assures all necessary help to tackle flood in the region. He also offered the support of the Centre, adding that the "situation is very serious in Kerala". Mr. Singh visited the flood relief camp at Elanthikkara, near Paravur.
The Union Home Minister was accompanied by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister K.J. Alphons and the State Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan. The Chief also assured help in making the flooded houses liveable again.
Chennithala seeks compensation package
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala urged the Union government to support the State government in the flood relief measuers. He urged the centre to sanction a compensation package of ₹4000 crore. He also sought the deployment of more men from the National Disaster Relief Force. "The flood shall be declared as a national clamity. A moratorium on agricultural loans shall be declared. This was the biggest floor in last five decades," he said. "Millions were hit by the flood. Many lost their homes and farm land. Roads, buildings and vehicles were damaged," he pointed out in the representation.
"Opening of dam shutter led to large scale destruction on the river banks. Idukki, Wayanad, Alapuzha, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts bore the brunt of the fury."
"All the loans the farmers had availed from the nationalised and cooperative banks shall be written off in the wake of the disaster. Houses shall be rebuilt for those who lost it. Financial support should be offered for repairing the damaged houses," he demanded.
"The survivors of those who lost their lives shall be offered compensation. A package for supporting the farmers who suffered losses shall be declared."
The opposition leader also demanded a special package for rebuilding the seawall along the Kerala coast. Fishermen who could not venture out into the sea shall be supported, he said.
NRI business man donates ₹5 crore for flood relief
A scene in Cheruthoni, Kerala on Sunday, August 12, 2018
A scene in Cheruthoni, Kerala on Sunday, August 12, 2018
M.A. Yusuffali, prominent NRI businessman and chairman and managing director of Lulu Group, has announced a donation of ₹5 crore towards the Kerala Chief Minister’s relief fund in the wake of devastating floods and rains.
“This is one the worst times for Kerala and my heart goes out to the people who’s suffering are beyond imagination. I just pray and hope that we all come together in these testing times, and do whatever we can to bring some solace to the lives of millions of our brothers and sisters” Mr. Yusuffali said.
Rain continues in Idukki, Wayanad
Army personnel engaged in road restoration at Mankulam in Idukki.
Army personnel engaged in road restoration at Mankulam in Idukki.
Water level in the Idukki hydel reservoir has dropped below the 2,400 ft. mark, but the situation in large parts of Idukki remains grim with heavy displacement of people and continuing rains.
Latest updates on the storage level in the key dams of the Idukki hydel reservoir system showed that the water level in the Idukki dam has fallen to 2399.16 ft. and that in the Idamalayar dam, it has dropped to 168.90 metres against the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 169 metres. The water level in the Mullaiperiyar dam is 135.20 ft. The shutters of the Banasurasagar dam has been raised from 80 cm to 90 cm to ease the pressure of water following heavy rains in Wayanad district.
(With inputs from agencies)
