Kerala floods claim 14 more lives

The flood and rain have claimed 14 more lives in Kerala yesterday, taking the death toll in the last 10 days to 210. The maximum number of deaths have been reported from Idukki, where 43 people lost their lives. 

As per official data,39 people are missing and 133 were injured .over seven lakh 24 thousand people are staying in five thousand six hundred and forty five camps. The rescue operations to save people stranded in Pandanad in Chengannur,  Thiruvalla, upper Kuttanad, Panthalam and Aranmula, are progressing efficiently. 

Interior part of Chengannur is getting more focus in rescue operations. 90 percent of the people Kuttanad have now migrated to Alappuzha and Kottayam since the area is under a water for days. 

Water started receding from flood affected Ernakulam and rescuers are continuing works in Kalady and Panayikulam. Efforts are on to airlift those marooned in Nelliyampathy in Palakkad. Though water level in Periyar has been receding, rivers including meenachil,manuals,pampa and achankovil are still overflowing. 

Meanwhile, National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) has directed that focus should now be on the provision of emergency supplies of food, water, medicines and restoration of essential services such as power, fuel, telecom and transport links as flood water recedes in the state. Headed by Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha, NCMC reviewed the situation in Kerala at a meeting yesterday.

Department of Food and Public Distribution has made available 50,000 metric tonnes of food grains (rice and wheat) to meet the immediate requirements with additional quantities in the



pipeline.

Department of Consumer Affairs has made arrangements to airlift 100 metric tonnes of pulses by today with additional quantities to be sent by train. Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has made available 9,300 kilolitres of kerosene to Kerala. Additional 12,000 kilolitres of kerosene will be allocated. LPG bottling plant in Kochi has been reopened.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will airlift 60 tonnes of emergency medicines today. It has put six specialised medical teams on standby. The Railways will provide blankets and bedsheets to meet the immediate requirements of the state government. The Air India has offered to airlift relief material without any cost.

As many as 3,00,000 food packets have been supplied by the Food Processing Ministry. The Railways are running two special trains tomorrow to Kolkata from Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam to ensure travel of stranded people.the last leg of rescue operations are progressing in full swing in rain-hit Kerala where life is limping back to normalcy with the water gradually ebbing out of many regions. 

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the last stage of rescue operations has been progressing now and from now the main agenda of the government will be to rebuild and restore normal lives for which a plan is being worked out. 

He added that all towns, cities and villages hit by the floods would be cleaned on a war footing. The Health Department of Kerala has prepared a master plan for one month including the activities to be undertaken on the war footing following the disastrous flood.