Kerala floods: Seventy two people have died in the state in the last three days.
After days of downpour and landslides, the intensity of rain is likely to reduce in Kerala today if the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predictions hold true. For the first time in days, no red alert -- indicating heavy to very heavy rainfall -- has been sounded for any of the 14 districts in the state. Seventy six people have died over the last three days in Kerala -- which is yet to recover from the worst flood it faced in a century. Rahul Gandhi, who has been elected to parliament from Wayanad in Kerala, is camping in his constituency since Sunday. Today, he appealed to the people to provide relief materials to those hit by the devastating floods in his Lok Sabha constituency.
Here's your 10-point cheatsheet on this big story:
No Red alerts (which denotes take action) has been issued in any of the 14 districts of the state from today till August 15th. However, orange alert - indicating be alert and prepared - has been issued for six districts of the state for today. These include Kasargode, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Idukki.
Mr Gandhi, who has been visiting flood-hit areas in his constituency, posted the appeal on his Facebook page. "My Parliamentary constituency Wayanad has been devastated by floods with thousands left homeless and shifted to relief camps. We are in urgent need of materials, including water bottles, sleeping mats, blankets, undergarments, dhothis, nightgowns, children''s apparel, slippers, sanitary napkins, soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, Dettol, soap powder, bleaching powder and chlorine," he said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has ordered military teams to form rescue units and airlift food to stranded villages across the state. "Several houses are still covered under 10-12 feet deep mud. This is hampering rescue work," Mr Vijayan was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.
Mr Vijayan has also hit out at "anti-social elements" who were asking people not to contribute to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. "The CMDRF is an official platform. The funds coming to CMDRF can only be used for relief purposes. The fund is used for helping the poorest among the poor," he said.
Seventy two people have died in the state in the last three days. While Malappuram is among the worst affected, reporting 23 deaths so far, 17 people have died in Kozhikode and 12 deaths have been reported in Wayanad.
Over 2.60 lakh displaced people have been taken to 1318 flood relief camps operating across the state. In many camps, people observed a low key Eid festival with well wishers bringing in food and new clothes for the inmates, news agency PTI reported.
Fifty eight persons have been reported missing, of whom 50 are in Malappuram, where 24 people have died, the highest in the state.
Flight operations resumed at Cochin International Airport on Sunday afternoon, two days after it was shut due to flooding of the runway area after heavy rains.
Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra have been the worst hit this year. Several other states including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam and Bihar have also seen heavy damage due to floods. As many as 32 rain and flood related deaths form various districts of Madhya Pradesh.
As many as 173 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed across the country for rescue and relief work. An NDRF Control Room in New Delhi is functioning round the clock to keep an eye on the developments.
Post a comment