Kerala floods: Floodwaters have receded and people are now trying to return home.
In Kerala, floodwaters have receded and people are now trying to return home. Patanamthitta district of Kerala is one of the worst hit. CRPF personnel have been helping people in Kerala remove toxic waste from their house and make them ready to live in again. On Sunday, NDTV organized a special 6-hour telethon with a specific goal if helping rebuild the worst-hit villages in Kerala. Politicians, film stars singers and artists all came together to support Kerala. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Kerala's road to recovery could be long. Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that the country needs to support the flood-hit state and people must give all that they can to help Kerala recover. "I want to appeal to the citizens the tragedy is not for just one state. We have to think about "Sabka sath, sabka vikas", he had said. An Air Force official has said that Kerala flood relief and rescue was the largest exercise undertaken.
PM Modi has assured Kerala Governor P Sathasivam that the state would get more central funds from the National Disaster Response Fund as per laid down procedure. The Rs. 600 crore released by the Centre to the state was only the advance assistance; PM Modi informed the Governor when he met him in New Delhi on Sunday
Here are the live updates on Kerala floods:
As flood waters engulfed homes at Kainakary, a village in Alappuzha, 20 families took refuge in a church cemetery and are living in the company of the dead with their domestic animals.
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According to figures released by Water Resources Ministry this week, the total storage of 91 major reservoirs in the country is 161.993 billion cubic metres, which is about 63 per cent of the total storage capacity of 257.812 BCM. The storage in 31 reservoirs in south India is 76 per cent, highest in the country, while it is 62 per cent in six reservoirs in north India.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lauds the disaster rescue and relief works by Indo-Tibetan Border Police in Kerala Floods
Kerala CM appeals to Kerala diaspora , employees and all of god will to donate their one months earnings for reconstruction.The amount may be paid equal monthly instalments spread over a period of an year. Yes, together we shall reconstruct Kerala: Thomas Isaac on Twitter
Spent half an hour debriefing Chief Minister at his home last night on my discussions in Geneva. We spoke in detail about the way forward for the state after the Kerala floods. Agreed on the need to rebuild Kerala in a way that such a tragedy won't recur: Shashi Tharoor on Twitter
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his 'Mann Ki Baat' had expressed solidarity with Kerala and said that people from all walks of life across the country have come in support of those whose lives were devastated in the massive floods.
"The nation stands with the people of Kerala and our condolences are for those who have lost their loved ones. With all the help and support, Kerala will stand on its feet again. Across the country, people are doing their bit to help Kerala. It was Onam yesterday and we pray that it gives strength to the people", he said
Shashi Tharoor urges the nation to come together and help Kerala
Kerala's fishermen-Heroes who rose to the occasion
Fishermen in Kerala have rescued 65,000 people from flood hit areas in the state during rescue operations, Fisheries Minister J Mercy kutty Amma had said.
The floods in Kerala are the result of cow slaughter in the state, a BJP lawmaker in Karnataka has said in an outrageous comment. Basangouda Patil Yatnal went as far as to say that Kerala was suffering the consequences of "hurting Hindu sentiment".
Kerala schools ravaged by floods
Soiled books, smashed furniture, damaged equipment and rooms and corridors filled with slush tugged at the heart strings of volunteers, officials and armed forces personnel at flood-hit schools they went to clean.
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Congress president Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit to flood-affected areas of Kerala from tomorrow. He will reach Thiruvananthapuram first and later visit Chengannur, Alappuzha and Angamaly . On the second day of his visit, Mr Gandhi is scheduled to visit Wayanad
A top Air Force officer said there were many firsts in Kerala rescue ops. The Kerala flood rescue was the largest exercise, ever undertaken. "Everyone has done a fantastic job. Good coordination. The challenge was topography, Kerala is densely vegetated," Air Marshal B Suresh, AOC-in-C, Southern Air Command, said at a joint press conference of the defence forces in Thiruvananthapuram.