Rescue in final leg

Minister says 90% of stranded in Alappuzha shifted

The flood-rescue operations have reached its final leg in Alappuzha district. Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran said that 90% of the stranded people had been rescued from flood-hit areas.

“We will complete the rescue operations by Monday. So far, 2.5 lakh people in Kuttanad have been evacuated. 97% of the population in Pandanad has already been rescued,” Mr. Sudhakaran told reporters on Sunday. On the day, the rescue teams involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Fire and Rescue Services Department, Kerala Police, and a large number of fishermen from other districts evacuated hundreds of people from Kuttanad and Chengannur either by airlifting them or in boats.

A total of 250 houseboats, 130 motorboats, 50 speed boats, barges, and jhankars have been used in the rescue mission. They have conducted 15,000 trips for evacuating the trapped people till Sunday evening. The Minister said that fishermen had rescued some 16,000 people using their boats. He added that directions had been given to the Health Department to initiate measures to check disease outbreaks.

Officials further said that steps had been taken to provide food and water to people still stranded in the remote areas of the region.

Alappuzha District Police Chief S. Surendran told The Hindu that people stranded in different parts of Chengannur were reluctant to move to relief camps or safer places. “We have reached out to them, but people are reluctant to move out of their houses after water level subsided. The rescue operation is likely to be completed by Monday,” Mr. Surendran said. Over 2,54,000 people from 65,000 families are staying in 935 camps in the district. Meanwhile, water level has receded in different parts of Chengannur, except in worst-hit areas of Pandanad, Edanad, and Thiruvanvandoor.

Four arrested

The police have arrested four houseboat owners in Alappuzha who had refused to provide their boats for rescue work.