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Capacity building by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Rahgiri Day

Kerala


Food materials supply by Air Force at Chengannur on Sunday morning. | Photo Credit: S. Gopakumar

Rescue workers from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Surat pitch in

The rescue operation for flood victims in Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts continue with response teams battling strong river currents and heavy rain to bring stranded citizens to safety, even as a parallel crisis unfolded in the Kuttanad region, where rising floodwaters inundated thousands of houses, forcing a mass evacuation.

The rescue work involving the armed forces and State government agencies was focussed on Chengannur and Chalakudy. Amid frantic calls for help from hundreds of stranded citizens, the Army deployed bigger boats in the flooded areas. As many as 22 helicopters and 119 boats of the Navy and Coast Guard were also involved.

2.20 p.m.
Teenager kills himself in Kozhikode
A 19-year-old boy, who was reportedly upset after seeing his school certificates damaged in floods, was found dead at his house near Karanthur in Kozhikode district on Saturday.

Police said Kailash Ramesh, the victim, hanged himself soon after he came back to his house from a nearby relief camp to check the situation. The boy was preparing to join an Industrial Training Institute in Kozhikode district. His parents and siblings were at the relief camp when the incident took place, police said.

2.00 p.m.
'Can rescue the stranded in Upper Kuttanad by evening'
It should be possible to rescue everyone stranded in Upper Kuttanad by this evening, Pathanamthitta District Collector P.B. Nooh has said.

A government update released said that 15 boats of the Navy would be pressed into service this afternoon for the purpose. Twelve boats of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were already engaged in rescue operations in the area. Ten boats of the Army had reached the site last night and were joined by two boats of the Navy in the rescue operations. The district administration had also commandeered five speedboats of the Believer's Church and seven other private speed boats for the purpose.

Two IAF helicopters were already in use for air dropping food to those who have refused to leave their homes.

The district administration has set up a medical hub with over a 100 doctors to provide healthcare to those in the relief camps. A food hub was also in operation at Adoor, he said.

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Here is a full list of persons who have been rescued in Chengannur and are in relief camps as of 12.00 p.m. on August 19, 2018.

1.50 p.m.
Verify before calling control room, says CM
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has appealed to the people to send in pleas for rescue of stranded persons only after verifying whether they have already been rescued.

In a Facebook post, the Chief Minister said that the Control Rooms are getting several pleas that had already been addressed. Sending in the same would only delay rescue of those who are yet to be rescued, he said.

Paravur Taluk Hospital getting back on track
Paravur Taluk Hospital inpatient facility started. It was only open for casualty services till now as the small area of town was the only place where the flood water had not got in. Medical hands and paramedics also arranged by helpline.

1.30 p.m.
KSRTC initiates special services in select routes
The KSRTC has rescheduled bus services from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran has said. Buses would run from the State capital to Kochi. Passengers can utilise the services of Kochi Metro to Aluva from there. Buses are running on the Kochi-Thrissur route as scheduled.

KSRTC has also initiated special services between Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram via Madurai and Nagercoil. Four super fast buses would ply in the route from Sunday evening.

The Airports Authority of India has extended the watch hours at Vijayawada and Begumpet airports to facilitate Kerala's flood relief operation by IAF aircraft. This was following a request by the Ministries of Home and Defence, said the Minister for Civil Aviation.
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1.10 a.m.
Facilitating air drop of relief material, ease of passenger service: Suresh Prabhu
Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu has informed that the scheduled domestic airlines have mounted additional flights to and from Trivandrum, Calicut and Coimbatore airports to minimize passenger inconvenience. Nine foreign carriers have also rescheduled their flights to and from Trivandrum.

Airlines are also displaying status of rescheduled and additional flights on their respective websites along with waiver of cancellation and change ticket charges, he tweeted.

A control room has been set up by DGCA which is working around the clock to aid stranded and affected passengers due to flight cancellations in Cochin. More than 2,771 queries have been addressed by the control room till date, Mr. Prabhu added.

A Joint team comprising representatives from DGCA, BCAS, CISF, AAI and Indian Navy carried out inspection of Cochin Naval Base on Sunday to check the feasibility of scheduled operations from there.

Steps are being taken to start operations with ATR-72 from Monday, Mr. Prabhu said.

Based on a request received from Kerala Government to facilitate them in air dropping of relief material, the DGCA is in contact with three private helicopter operators to carry out such relief operations. These operators are currently coordinating with the State officials.


1.00 p.m.
Fuel shortage in Kozhikode to be addressed today
Kozhikode district is suffering a critical fuel shortage for the past two days. Some petrol stations have been closed while some have stock in reserve. One of the reasons is that the supply channels have been blocked owing to transportation problems. Another is the panic created via social media.

District Collector U.V. Jose has called a meeting to review the crisis. He said that the issue will be solved by today.
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Train updates:
Train services are about to commence from Mangaluru to Chennai. The Kannur-Yeswantpur train will be operated as special train.

The service of Train No.12617 Ernakulam – Nizamuddin Express is partially cancelled between Ernakulam and Mangaluru Junction and will run from Mangaluru Junction to Nizamuddin.

Train No.12601 Chennai Central – Mangaluru Mail has reached Tirur on the way to Mangaluru.

The Mangaluru – Coimbatore Intercity is also running as a special train. Likewise the Mangaluru – Chennai West Coast Express too will be run as per schedule

However the Shoranur – Thrissur – Ernakulam section is yet to be operational.

12.50 p.m.
Medical helpline active in Ernakulam
Medical helpline has reached Kuthiyode, Puthenvelikkara in Paravur, Ernakulam by helicopter with Navy's help. The doctor is assessing the people in the camp where six deaths were reported yesterday due to the collapse of the wall of a parish hall of the church.

As of now, medicines are being airlifted from INS Garuda. Medical Helpline provided 500 boxes by Saturday night to camps in Thrissur, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Chengannur, each one containing drugs for about 50 patients. On Sunday 200 more boxes have been sent so far. Medical teams with personnel and provisions have also been sent to Alangaad, Kadungalloor camps.



EkmHospital

List of essential medicine as issued by medical helpline operating out of District General Hospital in Ernakulam

Doctors say that there is a dire shortage of availability of medicines in the control room and that at least 10 times more than is currently availability is required to meet the demand. Around ₹25-30 lakh worth medicines had reached the control room as of now. However, more than one lakh doxycycline is required as a prophylactic measure. Those who are in relief camps and those helping people on the field are to be given this medicine as a precaution towards all waterborne diseases

The medical helpline is operating from the District General Hospital in Ernakulam in association with other medical associations and is managing the medical aid in the district. They can be contacted at 9946992995.

Kalamassery mortuary running out of space
Shortage of space at the mortuary is worrying the administrators of the Kalamassery medical college hospital.Currently, all the six available freezers have been filled with dead bodies. Autopsy was performed on two bodies on Sunday morning and 3 are pending. No mobile freezers are available at the hospital and so, the relatives of the dead will have to bring the mobile freezers, said hospital sources.

The cremation of the dead is another issue faced by the family members who survived the flood water. Since most of the land is flooded, burial has not been suggested. Health experts suggested cremating the bodies at the crematorium on health grounds.

Mobile freezers from all private hospitals have been coordinated by Medical Helpline. There is a dire shortage of mortuary facilities in the district. The government hospital has a cold room facility that can keep about 30 bodies of which 16 are already occupied.

Meanwhile, facilities to keep bodies have been expanded in the Government medical college. The Anatomy and Dissection department has been provided with more power plugs to accommodate mobile freezers.

Forensic department has two tables and two surgeons to conduct the postmortem.

Medical College does not have a cold room facility. There are unclaimed bodies in the medical college mortuary, about 6 of them. Six mobile freezers have been arranged and six more to reach soon

12.40 p.m.
President enquires about flood situation
President Ramnath Kovind called Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan this morning to enquire about the flood situation in Kerala.

Mr. Vijayan said in a Facebook post that the President also enquired about the rescue and relief activities and declared solidarity with the State.


Food to be delivered to Pathanamthitta
An ONGC helicopter is expected to reach Pathanamthitta soon to air drop food articles to those who remain stranded in their homes. District Collector P. B. Nooh will coordinate the food distribution using the helicopter which would also be used for aerial survey of the flood-ravaged parts of the district.

12.30 p.m.
Rescue workers aim to reach Nelliampathy by noon
As many as 200 rescue workers including 130 personnel of Rapid Action Force and 30 revenue officials are reaching Nelliampathy by noon after trekking through difficult terrains. They are carrying 200 kg food grains for those who stranded in the hill station for the last five days following landslips. Helicopters will be pressed into action in the afternoon.

Local health worker Joyson Jayaseelan said there were landslips in at least 14 places within a 25-km radius of the hill station in the last four days. Huge trees were uprooted at 70 places. The worst affected is Pulayanpara. Most families are facing hardships in the absence of electricity, food, and safe drinking water. Reaching the nearest town, Nenmara, in the foothills would require a trek through difficult terrain for about 40 km.

Read more

12.20 p.m.
Red alert lifted across Kerala; Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Alappuzha to remain alert
The red alert weather warning notified across Kerala has been lifted. However an orange alert is still in place in Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts.

Although it is a clear sky, the Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram has forecast heavy rainfall in some places in Kerala.

As per Skymet Weather, moderate to heavy with very heavy rains are likely to continue over Kerala. These conditions are expected to continue for the next 48 hours, but a marginal reduction in rainfall activity can be anticipated.

Read more
Glimpses of the damage left behind in flood-affected areas


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[paste:font size="3"] Families returning home after the flood waters have receded face an arduous road to recovery. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

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[paste:font size="3"] Heavily damaged roads in Kadungalloor in Paravur taluk, Ernakulam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

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12.00 p.m.
Food supplies, restoration of vital services discussed in NCMC meeting
While reviewing the ongoing massive rescue and relief operation in the flood affected areas in Kerala, the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), in its third meeting in three days, decided to make the Naval airstrip at Kochi functional for commercial flights on Monday.

The meeting held under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary P. K Sinha, discussed in a video conference with the Chief Secretary of Kerala the current flood situation and deployment of rescue teams, motorboats, helicopters, life jackets; provision of food, water and medicines; and restoration of power, telecom and transport links wherever they were disrupted.

Read more

11.40 a.m.
Four houseboat owners in Alappuzha arrested
The police have arrested four houseboat owners in Alappuzha who had refused to spare their boats for rescue work.

The arrests were carried out on orders from the Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran. The Minister asked the Port Officer, Alappuzha, to look into complaints that several houseboat drivers operated the boats without proper licences.

The Minister also directed the Port Officer, at a review meeting held at the district collectorate, to suspend the licenses of boat drivers who had refused to cooperate with the rescue operations.

He pointed out that the District Boat Surveyor had been lax in ensuring compliance with the law and asked the District Collector to report the matter to the government.

11.30 a.m.
Many stranded in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta
A large number of people stranded in Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district are yet to be rescued and moved to relief camps. Government sources in the State capital said that 15 more boats would be deployed in the area soon for the rescue operations.

All the boats that have completed their assigned rescue tasks would be diverted to Thiruvalla where the focus would be on places such as Niranam, Kadapra, Meprad, Kattunilam, Thottadi, Vattadi, Valanjavattom, Amichakkari, Vanchimoottilkkadavu and Othara East.

Meanwhile, 35 Additional NDRF teams are being brought in to help with the rescue operations, especially the airlifting. NDRF Helpline number: 9711077372.

11.20 a.m.
Evacuation in Kuttanad taluk almost complete
District Collector of Alappuzha has informed the government that evacuation in Kuttanad taluk is almost complete. Around 2 lakh persons have been rescued and taken to safety, the District Collector said.

North Paravur the focus of rescue efforts in Ernakulam
North Paravur in Ernakulam to be the focus of rescue efforts today, according to the district administration. According to updates, 16 units of Navy have been deployed to the area. At least 82,000 food packets are to be supplied as 15 medical teams at Govt. Taluk Hospital and 10 medical teams are functioning in various flood hit regions in the area.

Ernakulam District Collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla has directed all medical shops and pharmacies to remain open in view of the increasing demand for medicines among the flood-hit.

10.40 a.m.
Thrissur not out of danger
Situation at Kundur and Puvathussery in Thrissur district, where flood water entered from both Chalakudy and Periyar rivers, is severe. A team of 30 expert divers has been deployed there. A 15-member NDRF team and navy team is also heading there for rescue operations.



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A scene from kole fields surrounding Enamavu lock in western part of Thrissur district. | Photo Credit: Mini Muringatheri

The area around the Enamavu lock in western part of Thrissur district is facing severe flooding. Around 42 villages around the kole fields are inundated.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shared the following plan for providing food and other vital supplies via airdrop today.



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10.20 a.m.
Rescue efforts stepped up in Chengannur and Kuttanad
The rescue and relief efforts have been stepped up in the flood-hit areas of Chengannur and Kuttanad in Alappuzha district. Several people including infants, elderly and women are still trapped in buildings without food, water and medicine in the remote areas.

The rescue operations, involving the National Disaster Response Force, Navy, Indian Air Force, Fire and Rescue Services Department and Kerala Police, commenced at the daybreak. Helicopters and fishing boats from Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, and houseboats are assisting in the rescue. They are trying to reach out to all the stranded people by Sunday evening. However, intermittent rains are hampering the mission.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan visited relief camps in Alappuzha on Sunday morning.



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Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan interacting with flood-affected people at a relief camp in Alappuzha on Sunday.

9.50 a.m.
IMA to distribute medical kits
Indian Medical Association will distribute emergency medical kits for doctors serving at relief camps. The kits will contain drugs for treating diseases like asthma, high blood pressure and lifestyle diseases. A few doctors from Thiruvananthapuram and other districts will arrive at Union Christian college, Aluva, and continue the relief work, said Dr. S. Binoy, Associate Professor of the Department of Orthopedics at the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram.

A heavy traffic snarl at the Muttam area on Sunday morning had left the medical team stranded in the area for some time. Later, the teams were re-routed, he said.

Over 1.8 lakh in relief camps in Ernakulam
Of the 1.8 lakh people in 500 relief camps in Ernakulam, 50,000 are sheltered in nearly 200 camps in Aluva region, say Revenue authorities. Water is receding in about 50 to 60% affected areas even though places like Chengamanadu and Kalady remain flooded. Officials said that efforts are on to rescue the trapped before 12 noon today.

Restoration of power in the flood-hit regions will be possible only after a few days.

9.40 a.m.
Neighbours pitch in
Four teams of Surat Fire Brigade have arrived in Kerala for flood relief programme. The team equipped with boats and underwater suits had earlier carried out operations during Kosi and Tapi floods.

Rescue workers from Odisha too have joined the massive rescue and evacuation drive in Kerala. Around 120 trained rescue workers were deployed on Sunday for the job. One team of rescue personnel with 33 power boats left for Kottayam. A 120-member-strong left for Chengannur. They have with them 30 power boats for rescuing the trapped persons, said Sukantha Sethi,Chief Fire Officer, who is leading the team.

An 80-member squad from Andhra Pradesh too reached Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday night.



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Rescue workers from Andhra Pradesh about to leave from Thiruvananthapuram. | Photo Credit: K.S. Sudhi

Tamil Nadu Electric Corporation, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited and Tata Power have offered support for rebuilding the distribution infrastructure in the affected areas.

9.20 a.m.
KSRTC revenue takes a hit
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has suffered a huge loss in the floods with a unit swept away in a landslip, eight depots getting fully submerged, 15 partially, and schedules getting crippled.

The KSRTC could operate only 2,598 of the 5,588 schedules on Saturday. The revenue from the fleet that was ₹6.5 crore on an average plummeted to ₹2.5 crore on August 17.

The corporation expects to commence bus services from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam via Kottarakara and Kottayam today.

Read more

9.00 a.m.
Man electrocuted during rescue in Malappuram
A man hailing from Wandoor in the district lost his life during rescue work in Kochi on Saturday.

Najmudheen Mulayankavu alias Babu, 41, was electrocuted while trying to save a family from a house. A former expatriate, Najmudheen was working in Kochi for the past few months.

₹350 crore loss for KSEB
Kerala State Electricity Board has formed a crisis management corporation headed by CMD N. S. Pillai. Its regional arms, headed by chief engineers and deputy chief engineers, will start reviving damaged distribution infrastructure soon. The production loss for the board has been estimated at ₹350 crore.

Meanwhile, Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology has commissioned a travelling mobile phone charging facility that could charge 50 phones at one go. It can be accessed on 18004251803.

8.40 a.m.
As water recedes, ill health could surface
The Health Department has prepared an elaborate action plan to prevent the outbreak of communicable diseases when the floodwaters recede. It will help the people to remain safe and avert health emergencies when residing in relief camps or when they are ready to return to their homes.



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Apart from possible public health emergencies, the department is preparing to deal with a host of emotional and mental health issues that may affect people, including depression, anxiety, stress and coping issues.

Read more

8.20 a.m.
Food packets to Chengannur
As parts of Chengannur continue to be inundated, Air Force officers deployed to the area liaison with the civil administration to project the requirements of the people. Though the flood water is yet to recede, many said that they are safe in the areas where they belong and refused airlift. Food materials were unloaded at the Chengannur Christian college ground and was collected by the administration.

Three helicopters have started their sorties from Trivandrum early in the morning. An Mi17V5 covered the Chengannur area while another Mi 17 will cover south of Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta. One ALH is also involved in the morning sortie.

At least 250 fire force personnel from Odisha has commenced rescue operations in Chengannur with 75 power boats today.



8.00 a.m.
Govt assistance to get flooded houses cleaned
With the floodwaters starting to recede, many people in disaster relief camps across the district are eager to return home as soon as possible.

Officials say that people whose houses have been flooded for two or more days will get a compensation from the government to get them cleaned and to make them liveable. Those housed in camps need not worry as they have been registered. Those who had shifted to the houses of relatives or friends during the flood need to get a report from the respective village officers after a few weeks to avail the compensation. They shall seek the help of their respective ward members for the same, said Ramla N., Deputy Collector in charge of disaster management.

Read more

7.50 a.m.
Canadian PM conveys condolences to the affected
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau took to Twitter to convey his condolences to those in Kerala.

"Tragic news from Kerala, India - Canada sends its deepest condolences to all those who have lost a loved one in the devastating floods," he wrote. "Our thoughts are with everyone affected."

7.30 a.m.
KSRTC resumes service in parts of Kozhikode
Water recedes in Kozhikode but hardships continue. About 45,000 people from 14,000 families are in 320 relief camps in the district. Public participation in relief operations has provided succour to the flood-hit victims.

Fuel shortage has hit some parts of district — the issue is expected to be addressed today. State-owned KSRTC and private buses have recommenced services to different parts of Kozhikode.

All government offices in Kozhikode to function today in connection with relief operations.

Bus services to resume on Thrissur - Ernakulam route. Train services yet to be restored.

Train services from Thiruvananthapuram-Kottayam-Ernakulam partially restored on Sunday morning. Trains are running via Alappuzha up to Ernakulam.

Relief pours in to flood-stricken Kerala
Amount Others
Central government aid
₹600 crore
Tamil Nadu ₹10 crore 500 metric tonnes of rice, 300 metric tonnes of milk powder and 15,000 litres of milk, among other relief materials. TN IAS officers contribute one day's salary.
Karnataka ₹10 crore
Puducherry ₹2 crore
Gujarat ₹10 crore
Bihar ₹10 crore
Delhi ₹10 crore All Aam Aadmi Party legislators are donating their one-month salary. Congress MLAs too are donating their one-month salary.
Andhra Pradesh ₹10 crore
Telangana ₹25 crore Reverse Osmosis machines worth ₹2.5 crore are being sent . 'Balamrutham', food for children, worth ₹52.5 lakh.
Haryana ₹10 crore
Punjab ₹10 crore One lakh packages of food items including tea, sugar, milk powder, biscuits and water bottle.
Maharashtra ₹20 crore Food packets of ₹1.5 crore and 11 tonnes of dry food. Rajasthani Welfare Association & JITO International contributing ₹51 lakh each.
Odisha ₹5 crore 245 fire personnel will help rescue and relief operations.
Chhattisgarh ₹3 crore A train with rice worth ₹2.5 crore has been sent.
Uttarakhand ₹5 crore
Rajasthan ₹10 crore A 27-member team of State Disaster Relief Force with 12 boats will help Kerala in rescue operations.
Madhya Pradesh ₹10 crore
Himachal Pradesh ₹5 crore
Uttar Pradesh ₹15 crore UP Police Personnel are donating their one day salary.
Jharkhand ₹5 crore
Arunachal Pradesh ₹3 crore


Expected rainfall in the State
District Aug 18 Aug 19 Aug 20 Aug 21 Aug 22
Thiruvananthapuram LMR LMR LMR LMR LMR
Kollam HRI LMR LMR LMR LMR
Pattamthitta HRI LMR LMR LMR LMR
Alapuzha HRI LMR LMR LMR LMR
Kottayam HRI LMR LMR LMR LMR
Ernakulam HR LMR LMR LMR LMR
Idukki HVH LMR LMR LMR LMR
Thrissur HRI LMR LMR LMR LMR
Palakkad HRI LMR LMR LMR LMR
Malappuram HRI LMR LMR LMR LMR
Kozhikode HRI LMR LMR LMR LMR
Wayanad HRI LMR LMR LMR LMR
Kannur HRI LMR LMR LMR LMR
Kasargode LMR LMR LMR LMR LMR

KEY

LMR Light to moderate rainfall
HRI Heavy rainfall at isolated places
HVH Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places
HR Heavy rainfall
(Source: IMD data from August 18, 1.00 p.m.)

Amount (mm)
Very light 0.1 to 2.4
Light 2.5 to 15.5
Moderate 15.6 to 64.4
Heavy 64.5 to 115.5
Very heavy 115.6 to 204.4
Extremely heavy >204.5

How to donate towards Kerala flood relief efforts:
Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) accepts voluntary contributions from Individuals, Organizations, Trusts, Companies and Institutions etc. All contributions towards CMDRF are exempt from Income Tax under section 80(G).

Donations now accepted through UPI mobile app like BHIM, paytm, Tez, Phonepe also.
(VPA : keralacmdrf@sbi) / Scan the QR Code to donate

For Bank Counter Payment

Beneficiary Name : Principal Secretary (Fin), Treasurer CMDRF

Bank Name : State Bank of India (SBI)

Account Number : 67319948232

Branch : City Branch, Thiruvananthapuram

IFSC : SBIN0070028

For offline Contribution

Cheque/Demand Draft can be drawn in the favour of Principal Secretary (Finance), Treasurer CMDRF, payable at Thiruvananthapuram. The same may be posted/mailed to the following address:

Principal Secretary (Finance)

Treasurer CMDRF

Secretariat

Thiruvananthapuram – 695 001

Kerala, INDIA

For effective collaboration and communications between authorities, volunteers and public, the following website has been created http://keralarescue.in/

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https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...inal-stages/article24727880.ece?homepage=true

PM announces ₹500-cr assistance; fresh crisis in Kuttanad as rising water level forces evacuation

The rescue operation for flood victims in Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts continued on Saturday with response teams battling strong river currents and heavy rain to bring stranded citizens to safety, even as a parallel crisis unfolded in the Kuttanad region, where rising floodwaters inundated thousands of houses, forcing a mass evacuation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who undertook an aerial survey of some of the flooded areas, announced an interim assistance of ₹500 crore against a demand of ₹2,000 crore made by the State government.

This is apart from the Central assistance of ₹100 crore pledged earlier.

The rescue work involving the armed forces and State government agencies was focussed on Chengannur and Chalakudy. Amid frantic calls for help from hundreds of stranded citizens, the Army deployed bigger boats in the flooded areas. As many as 22 helicopters and 119 boats of the Navy and Coast Guard were also involved.

Terming the floods the worst in the century, the Chief Minister said the rescue work was in the final stage with teams involved in mopping up operations.

58,506 rescued

“Things are well under control,” he told reporters after a review meeting. A total of 58,506 people were rescued from different locations on Saturday.

Efforts were on to reach food and medicines to the marooned people.

An official pressnote here said helicopters had carried out a total of 900 airlifts in the operation. More than 4,00,000 were shifted to relief camps from flooded localities.

Thousands of houses from Kumarakom to Vaikom in the Kuttanad region were inundated. The rising waters in Vembanad lake flooded houses in Alappuzha town and Thaneermukkom panchayat. The two canals in Alappuzha were also overflowing.

Officials estimate that more than 2,00,000 people, including the aged and the infirm and women and children, would have to be evacuated from Kuttanad. With the relief camps in Alappuzha filled to capacity, the authorities opened shelters at Cherthala to accommodate the rising tide of people fleeing the flooded areas.

Five columns of the Border Security Force, 169 NDRF teams, and 23 groups of the Army and engineering division worked closely with 3,200 Fire and Rescue Services personnel, 40,000 policemen, and a large number of volunteers to rescue marooned families in Pathanamthitta and Thrissur.

Food packets were airdropped and distributed by boats.

Heavy rain lashed many places in Idukki also triggering flash floods.

No precedent: CM

Reacting to the Opposition’s demand that the rescue operations be handed over to the Army, the Chief Minister said the Central forces had worked closely with the civilian administration under a joint command and control system to carry out rescue and relief operations. “There is no precedent of the Army carrying out a disaster management operation by itself,” he said.
 
https://www.thehindu.com/news/citie...ple-at-camps-in-ernakulam/article24728011.ece
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To safer shores: Children being rescued on a raft in Aluva on Saturday. | Photo Credit: H_Vibhu


Rescuers and volunteers together bring to safety about 54,800 people; 597 flood relief camps operating in district
On a day when the showers stayed off and there was a marked decrease in the amount of water released by the Idukki and Idamalayar dams into the Periyar, rescue operations were at a frenetic pace, as distress calls continued to pour in from parts of Paravur and Aluva through the night on Friday into Saturday morning.

Rescuers and volunteers were able to together bring to safety about 54,800 people. At last count, there were 597 flood relief camps in Ernakulam district with 1,81,607 people from 47,138 families. Besides the forces, volunteers and fishers used boats, canoes and barges to rescue those marooned. More people were able to reach safer destinations when the floodwaters receded by Saturday evening.

Jimesh, a laboratory assistant, said a group of 1,200 people who had taken refuge at the Government Higher Secondary School building at Kongorpilly, off Koonammavu, was being rescued in batches and shifted to a school at Koonammavu. “Some of us were unwell and were in need of medicines. So, we sent out messages. We are happy that someone helped us and rescuers came looking for us in the morning. Only about 400 people remained to be shifted now,” he said. The area continued to be under at least 8-ft water, though there was a let up in flooding since morning, he said.

Kadungalloor rescue ops

At Kadungalloor, the police and fishers worked together to evacuate to safety almost every person who had been stranded. With more people reaching the camps, there were calls and messages for food, baby food, sanitary napkins, essential clothing, medicines and blankets. Volunteers and charity workers had formed WhatsApp groups to attend to the needy while non-governmental organisations and the district administration also continued their effort to make food and material available at camps. Shortage of drinking water was another problem.

At last count, Kochi had 36 camps with 30,000 people from 7,560 families; Kunnathunad had 28,630 people from 6,367 families across 72 camps; Kothamangalam ran 37 camps for 5,892 individuals from 1,600 families; and Paravur, which bore the brunt of the flooding, had opened 171 camps in which a total of 51,150 people from 14,600 families had taken shelter.

Aluva had 128 camps with 32,000 people from 8,000 families; Kanayannur had 15,223 people from 4,335 families sheltered in 65 camps; and Muvattupuzha had 88 camps where 18,712 people belonging to 4,676 families were sheltered.

Minister takes stock

Education Minister C. Ravindranath reviewed the situation in the district at the control room at Pathadipalam rest house.

Five NDRF teams, 17 Naval troops, five Coast Guard troops and three Army troops were deployed in the district. Arrangements were in place to provide food, clothing and medicines to people sheltered in the camps, the administration said.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...ers-move-in/article24727389.ece?homepage=true

Scale of destruction in Kodagu unravels as rescuers move in
Special Correspondent
MYSURU, August 18, 2018 22:40 IST
Updated: August 18, 2018 22:40 IST
19BGHOUSE

A house balances precariously following a landslip, near Madikeri on Saturday.


Nearly 2,000 personnel from the Army, National and State Disaster Response Force, and Karnataka Civil Defence reach out to people stranded in remote hilly areas

“We were brought to safety by the rescue teams on Friday and we’re now staying at a friend’s house. There is no way people of the villages near Makkandur can go back as there is nothing left there,” said Jagdeep, whose family was stranded in a village close to Makkandur.

The magnitude of devastation owing to landslips and rains in the flood-ravaged Kodagu district is still unfolding even as rescue operations continued on Saturday despite inclement weather. There are conflicting reports on the number of deaths, though six have been officially confirmed.

Nearly 2,000 personnel from the Army, National and State Disaster Response Force, and Quick Response Team of Karnataka Civil Defence have reached out to people stranded in remote hilly areas where scores are still stuck.

About 100 people marooned at Mukkodlu village in Somwarpet taluk were rescued and shifted to Madapura relief centre after the team negotiated their way through overflowing sludge and water along a treacherous terrain. According to reports, the civil defence team and Army personnel trekked about 13 km for the rescue mission.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kodagu Praveen Kumar said nearly 3,000 people have been evacuated and the numbers are decreasing, but rescue missions will continue.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who conducted an aerial survey on Saturday, said 60 people are still stranded and they have to be airlifted by operating helicopters. Though they are ready, they cannot be pressed into service owing to bad weather. More than 2,500 people have been evacuated so far, he said.

CM’s visit

Mr. Kumaraswamy has cancelled his visit to Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts scheduled for Sunday. Instead, he will continue his survey of Kodagu district on Sunday also.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people from Makkandur, Mandalpatti, and Adageri have taken shelter in one of the 31 relief camps. The villages have been evacuated around Makkandur, but people are still missing. Bopanna, based in Bengaluru, said there was no information about his family members near Makkandur though he learnt through other contacts that they were safe.

About 150 people are housed in a private resort close by, but there are fears of landslips from Kotta Betta, which has added to the concern, he said. Kadanakolli village on Mysuru-Sakleshpur road was devastated by a landslip, while people around Sampaje were being evacuated over fear of landslips.

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https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...ur-district/article24730185.ece?homepage=true

The 42 villages in and around kole fields and on the banks of Canolly canal and Herbert canal are inundated as Krivannur River diverted its direction near the Arattupuzha Temple and Ettumuna areas.

The southwest parts of Thrissur district is still reeling under the rude shock of flash floods started on Friday night even as situation improves in other parts of the district.

The 42 villages in and around kole fields and on the banks of Canolly canal and Herbert canal are inundated as Krivannur River diverted its direction near the Arattupuzha Temple and Ettumuna areas.

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Karivannur River, to which the water from Chimmini reservoir and Manali river reach, diverted its direction as temporary bund at Chirakuzhy breached. Bund road from Arattupuzha-Karivannur was destroyed and the river spread to seven kilometers on both sides. Arattupuzha is also overflowing.

Around 200 people from 30-odd families, from Pallissery-Panankulam to Arattupuzha bridge, got stranded in the unexpected flash floods. They were later rescued by NDRF teams. Around 20 relief camps have been started in Cherpu area. As water rose, Thrissur-Kodungallur Road was submerged.

Flood water entered hundreds of houses in Cherpu, Arattupuzha, Ettumuna, Muthulliyal, Chenam, Inchamudi, Pullu, Manakody, Chettupuzha and Panankulam areas.

As the water reached kole fields, thousands of people from the banks of Canolly canal were shifted to relief camps. The water current was strong enough to make it difficult to differentiate between kole fields and roads. Thousands of acres of kole fields couldn't contain the flash floods and water was not flowing to the sea due to high tides. Rumours about a breach in the Enamavu lock too created panic in the area. Valappad-Chavakkad road too was inundated, but major causalities were averted as people voluntarily vacated the areas before the flood situation worsened.

Ministers A.C. Moideen and V.S. Sunil Kumar reached Arattupuzha and reviewed the situation. The help of the Army will be sought to reconstruct the breeched bund to control the flow of Karivannur river, Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar said.


RESERVOIR OF CHIMMINI DAM THRISSUR
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...connections/article24730726.ece?homepage=true

Consumers in the affected districts would be given adequate time to pay their bills and connection would not be snapped for non-payment

The Kerala State Electricity Board is set to embark on an action plan for rebuilding its distribution infrastructure and also for resuming power supply in the flood-ravaged areas.

Top priority is for resuming power supply in relief camps, hospitals and the water treatment plants of the Kerala Water Authority. Drinking water supply was a major issue in 11 districts and hence supply to the plants would be revived on a war-footing, sources said.

Consumers in the affected districts would be given adequate room to pay their power bills and connection would not be snapped for non-payment. The board could not deploy its personnel for reading the power meters that remain submerged in most of the districts and hence payment dates have been relaxed. No fines would be levied from the consumers for non-payment.

Also, the board would not demand any certificate or other credentials in support of applications for reconnection from the consumers in the affected areas. The priority is to provide connections to consumers at the earliest, sources said.

The board has constituted a multi-tier task force for crisis management. Executive engineers would be tasked to head the execution of the plan in electrical divisions and deputy chief engineers in electrical circles. Field staff are already working overtime addressing complaints and ministerial staff too would made part of the task force, sources said.

As many as 12,000 poles, conductors or lines spanning 8,000 km, 900 transformers and 61,155 single-phase meters would be used for executing the plan. The board had to switch off 4,000 transformers in the wake of the floods. Most of them continue to remain submerged and a majority of the transformers would have to be replaced.

Production loss on account of the flood has been estimated at about Rs. 350 crore. The loss due to infrastructure damage has not yet been ascertained, sources said.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...cmc-meeting/article24729933.ece?homepage=true

The meeting reviewed various measures to restore power lines, petrol pumps, LPG, health facilities, and to provide necessary medicines, food and fodder etc with full support from the concerned central ministries.

While reviewing the ongoing massive rescue and relief operation in the flood affected areas in Kerala, the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), in its third meeting in three days, decided to make the Naval airstrip at Kochi functional for commercial flights on Monday.

The meeting held under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary P. K Sinha, discussed in a video conference with the Chief Secretary of Kerala the current flood situation and deployment of rescue teams, motorboats, helicopters, life jackets; provision of food, water and medicines; and restoration of power, telecom and transport links wherever they were disrupted.

Five more helicopters to be mobilised by IAF, Navy and ONGC will be pressed into service on Sunday.

In the unprecedented efforts being mobilised under the instructions of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, 67 helicopters, 24 aircraft, 548 motorboats and thousands of rescue personnel from Indian Navy, Army, Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Coast Guard, other CAPFs, have been pressed into service to rescue and evacuate people from submerged areas to relief camps and for distribution of relief materials, a press release said.

More than 6,900 life jackets, 3,000 life buoys, 167 inflatable tower lights, 2,100 raincoats, 1,300 gumboots and 153 chain saws have been provided as per the request of the State Government. Additional motorboats have also been put on standby for deployment.

So far, various Central Ministries have made available food, water and medicines which include 3,00,000 food packets, 6,00,000 MT of milk, 14,00,000 litres of drinking water, 150 potable water purification kits with capacity of 1,00,000 litre each. Railways informed that trains have been running to Thiruvananthapuram via Erode and Madurai. It offered to run a special food and medicine train from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam as per the requirements of the State Government to distribute food and medicines to all the stations on the way.

Restoring vital services

The meeting reviewed various measures to restore power lines, petrol pumps, LPG, health facilities, and to provide necessary medicines, food and fodder etc with full support from the concerned central ministries.

With a view to improve telephone connectivity, the Department of Telecom has enabled intra-circle roaming which will enable subscribers of one service provider to access mobile towers of other service providers. All the operators have offered free data and SMS facility from Saturday. Mobile towers called ‘Cellular on Wheels’ are also being deployed to ensure that no Block remains unconnected.

The Ministry of Health has made ready emergency medicines and medical teams for deployment as soon as flood waters recede. The Cabinet Secretary directed that there should be proper coordination and distribution of the relief materials which are being offered by various State Governments and other agencies.

Chief Secretary of Kerala, while appreciating timely Central assistance, informed that there is some respite from the rainfall and water level in the dam reservoirs are stabilized. Further, as per IMD forecast, rainfall is expected to recede further barring in one or two districts.

The meeting was attended by Secretaries of Central Ministries including Home, Health, Civil Aviation, Food Processing, Telecom, Water Resources and Senior Officers of Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, NDRF, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Chairman, Central Water Commission (CWC) and other senior officers. Kerala participated over video conference and was represented by Chief Secretary and his team.
 
https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...-medical-teams-for-kerala/article24725168.ece

About 500 tonne rice, 300 tonnes of milk powder and 15,000 litres of Ultra-High Temperature processed milk, 10,000 blankets besides dhoties and lungies (coloured dhoties) will be immediately sent to Kerala, Chief Minister Palaniswami said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Saturday, August 18, 2018, announced relief materials including rice, milk and ₹ five crore more for relief operations in the flood ravaged Kerala.

Mr. Palaniswami said essential medicines and teams comprising medical and veterinary doctors will be immediately dispatched to the neighbouring state.

Over and above the ₹five crore contribution for relief given to Kerala on August 10 by Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said,”an additional ₹five crore,” will be provided from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.

On August 9, Mr. Palaniswami had announced the ₹ five crore for relief and rehabilitation work.

As regards relief materials, 500 tonne rice, 300 tonnes of milk powder and 15,000 litres of Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) processed milk, 10,000 blankets besides dhoties and lungies (coloured dhoties) will be immediately sent to Kerala, he said.

“Also, relief materials worth crores received from Tamil Nadu people have already been sent to Kerala through authorities in districts and this work will continue,” Mr. Palaniswami said in an official release here.

To coordinate relief-related tasks to help Kerala, two senior IAS officials have been assigned to work under Commissioner for Revenue Administration, K Sathyagopal, the Chief Minister noted.

Expressing anguish over the loss of lives, Mr. Palaniswami conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced an immediate financial assistance of ₹500 crore to Kerala, after reviewing the flood situation in the state.

According to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, since August 8, 194 people have lost their lives so far and 36 are missing.

Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps.

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19bmWaterTrain


Safe to drink: Officials fill the tankers in Pune on Saturday.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/citie...eaves-for-flood-hit-state/article24728214.ece

A special train carrying 14.5 lakh litres of drinking water is on its way to Kerala to provide relief to victims of the flood. The train, consisting of 29 tankers, left Pune on Saturday evening and will reach Kayamkulam Junction in Alappuzha, where it will be handed over to the Kerala government.

The train is a result of a joint effort by Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR) and will travel via the Central and Southern Railway network, since sections along Konkan Railway in Kerala are inaccessible due to severe flooding. Alappuzha is among the worst-hit districts in Kerala.

WR dispatched a train with 15 tankers containing nine lakh litres of water from Ratlam on Friday. Each tanker has a capacity of 50 thousand litres. “We have organised the train to provide basic drinking water to the flood-hit State. The quality of water in each tank was tested before its dispatch. The train is expected to reach by Sunday night or Monday morning,” Ravinder Bhakar Chief Public Relations Officer, WR, said.

The train reached Pune on Saturday, where CR attached 14 more tankers to it. “A 15 HP pump was installed in quick time and temporary pipelines were laid to fill these wagons. Work started around 3 a.m. on Saturday and was completed at noon. The Pune Fire Brigade also helped in this endeavour,” Sunil Udasi, Chief Public Relations Officer, CR, said.

Southern Railway has also dispatched a special train of seven wagons. As many as 2,740 cartons of bottled water from Parassala Rail Neer plant have been sent, while the authorities are in the process of sending another 10,000 cubic boxes.

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https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...maraswamy-tells-president/article24731137.ece

President Ram Nath Kovind had called to enquire about the situation in the district

More than 3,500 people have been rescued during the operations carried out by various teams in rain-ravaged Kodagu, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy informed the President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday.

Briefing the President, who had called to enquire about the situation in the district, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other rescue teams involved in the operations had rescued more than 3,500 people so far.

The Chief Minister, who canceled his scheduled visit to Chickmagaluru and Shivamogga, conducted an aerial survey of Kodagu for the second consecutive day on Saturday, taking stock of the situation in Somwarpet, Suntikoppa, Madapura, Mukkodlu, Harangi backwaters, Siddapura, Kushalnagar and surrounding areas.

He later landed at the helipad in Periyapatna and went to Madikeri by road. Enroute, Mr. Kumaraswamy met the victims in Avarthi, Sai Extension and Kuvempunagar Extension in Kushalnagar and assured Government aid. Flood waters had submerged about 150 to 200 houses in Sai Extension, another 400 houses had been affected in Kuvempunagar Extension.

Addressing hundreds of displaced people sheltered in the Relief Centre at Suntikoppa, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the government will take all necessary measures to rehabilitate the people affected by rains in Kodagu.

After reaching Madikeri, Mr. Kumaraswamy held a meeting with the district administration officials and discussed rescue and relief operations. Minister for Tourism and Sericulture S.R. Mahesh, who is also the minister in charge of Kodagu district, and Deputy Commissioner Srividya P. were also present.


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Prime Minister's Office
19-August, 2018 17:35 IST
PM speaks to Karnataka CM regarding flood situation in parts of the state

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has spoken to Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri H D Kumaraswamy regarding the flood situation in parts of the state.

“Spoke to Karnataka CM Shri H D Kumaraswamy Ji regarding the flood situation in parts of the state. Extended all possible support in the rescue and relief operations. I pray for the safety and well-being of those in the flood affected areas”, the Prime Minister said.



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https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...-survey-of-rain-hit-areas/article24725107.ece
BENGALURU, August 18, 2018 16:48 IST
Updated: August 18, 2018 18:45 IST
18hdk%2094bd7188-4c3d-45eb-9ca3-6268970ef377

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy making an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas. | Photo Credit: - Bhagya Prakash K.


950 personnel from multiple agencies engaged in rescue operation in Kodagu; over 350 people rescued so far

Over 900 personnel from multiple agencies, including one column of the Army’s Dogra Regiment, Air Force National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Civil Defence, Fire Force and National Cadet Corps have been deployed for rescue and relief operations in rain-battered Kodagu district.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday morning held an emergency meeting of officials to take stock of the situation and rush rescue personnel and relief materials to the people in distress. After the meeting, he made an aerial survey of the rain-affected areas of Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada regions.

Addressing the media after the meeting, he said that according to official information reaching the administration, over 350 people have been rescued so far and multiple agencies have pressed every rescue-related machinery into service.

A high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary had been formed to address the financial issues related to the rescue operation, relief works and rehabilitation of the people stranded in rain-battered areas.

Appeal

Mr. Kumaraswamy has appealed to the people to contribute generously for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to facilitate rehabilitation of the displaced people in Kodagu district.

Expressing his gratitude to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman for agreeing to deploy additional personnel for rescue and relief operations in Kodagu, he said she immediately responded to the situation.

A team headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district had rescued as many as 347 persons in Jodupala area bordering Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu districts and the operation is continuing.

A team steered by Army personnel rescued over 30 people from Mukkodlu, after a difficult trek of 13 km. A 92-year-old woman was brought on a stretcher.

Over 2,250 displaced people have taken shelter in 31 rehabilitation centres (gruel centres). A decision has been taken to open more gruel centres to instil confidence among the people in distress.

Officials concerned have been directed to supply uninterrupted gas, petrol and diesel in the areas of distress and communication authorities have been asked to reinstall mobile towers, which had collapsed because of the rain. Additional forces have been deployed to restore communication and power structures, especially in rural parts of Kodagu.

Steps had been taken to rush medical and nursing staff and supply child food products on priority. Over 50 excavators have been pressed into service to clear the landslide debris, which blocked highways and open the roads for traffic. Geologists and technical experts have been deployed to take measures to safeguard Mangaluru-Mysuru National Highway 275, which is caving in because of loose soil.

Over 800 houses collapsed because of heavy rains and people have lost documents pertaining to their property. Departments concerned have been directed to provide them copies of their documents immediately and officials have been directed to release ₹ 2 lakh compensation for those who have lost their houses.

As many as 16 railway staff stuck in Yedakumeri station near Sakleshpur have been rescued.

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19TVINDIA-FLOOD-WEATHER

High on action: People being airlifted by Navy personnel at Paravur, near Kochi, on Saturday. | Photo Credit: -

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/defence-forces-get-reinforcements/article24727783.ece

Navy, Coast Guard NDRF rescue close to 6,500 people

Efforts to rescue flood-hit people from areas around Ernakulam, Thrissur and Pathanamthitta gathered momentum with the forces getting reinforcements on Saturday.

The Navy could rescue 3,375 people using boats while its airborne rescue teams saved 154 people, till 430 p.m. on Saturday. The Coast Guard had evacuated 2,611 people till 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Operation Madad

The NDRF, which made its highest ever daily deployment in a single State since its raising in Kerala on Saturday, said it had rescued 194 people till 3 p.m.

Operation Madad by the Navy was scaled up on Saturday with more Gemini boats and divers joining from the Eastern and the Western naval commands. There were 72 teams in operation in all. Ernakulam region had 42 teams with a Gemini boat each at various places in Ernakulam.

In Thrissur district, deployment at Chalakudy, one of the worst-hit by the Periyar floods, was augmented with 10 teams. Ten teams were at Chengannur in Pathanamthitta, while there was a team each at Ayroor and Pullad.

The deployment in Wayanad scaled down as the situation had improved there. Just two naval teams with Gemini boats were present at Porunnannur.

All air assets available at INS Garuda have been utilised for winching up stranded personnel, transfer of stores, boats and relief material. Aircraft such as ALH, Sea King, Chetak and Mi-17 of the Air Force brought 154 people to safety. In all, one lakh food packets and water bottles were airdropped.

Relief at Naval Base

The T2 hangar at the Naval Base, which had been turned into an interim relief camp since Friday, was used to provide shelter to about 350 people. Another relief camp set up by the Naval Armament Depot, Aluva, accommodated 170 persons. The Naval Kindergarten (NKG) School was also converted into a relief camp to accommodate 250 persons.

A community kitchen set up by INS Venduruthy on the campus of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) catered for 7,000 people. A total of 17 cooks, 4 officers and 13 staff were relentlessly working to serve them food. The demand for food also included that for 2,000 persons at UC College, Aluva.

The State government authorities contributed to this kitchen, providing condiments and other items.

Coast Guard efforts

The Coast Guard had deployed 31 rescue and relief teams. It hired four fishing boats for rescue efforts at Paravur and Varapuzha, airlifted 19 people, and guided 6,415 people to safety on Saturday.

The NDRF, which till Saturday had evacuated a total of 10,400 flood-hit people, had 55 teams in operation — 15 teams in Thrissur, 13 in Pathanamthitta, 11 in Alappuzha, five in Ernakulum, four in Idukki, three in Malappuram and two each in Wayanad and Kozhikode. On Saturday, two more teams were airlifted from Pune airport while another team was waiting to be airlifted. Each NDRF team had either a doctor or a paramedic.

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https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...aval-facility-from-monday/article24726600.ece

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the naval base in Kochi on August 18, 2018 to review and assess the flood situation in Kerala. | Photo Credit: Kerala Information and Public Relations Department
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Flights to and from Kochi will commence from Monday as the authorities have made arrangements at the local naval air station for civilian flights after the local airport was inundated due to heavy rains and shut for operations.

The decision was taken after Air India subsidiary Alliance Air conducted a test flight from Bangalore to Cochin on Saturday. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had delegated a team comprising officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviaiton (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Airports Authority of India (AAI) to examine the possibility of commencing civilian flights from the naval facility.

Alliance Air will operate its smaller 70-seater ATR 72 planes on this route. There will be two direct flights between Bengaluru and Cochin and one via Coimbatore, according to the airline's spokesperson.

"In view of disruption of flights from Cochin airport due to floods, a joint team sent by @MoCA_GoI (Ministry of Civil Aviation) has approved starting of scheduled commercial flights using ATRs by Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, between Bangalore and Cochin Naval Air base," Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu announced on Twitter.

He added that subsequently more destinations such as Coimbatore and Madurai will be connected and other airlines are also expected to pitch in.

According to sources, arrangements will also be made to enable passengers to undergo security checks. An x-ray baggage inspection system, two door frame metal detectors, hand-held metal detectors, trolleys will be shifted from Thiruvananthpuram airport to INS Garuda.

The Cochin international airport has been shut for flights till August 26 and commercial airlines were asked to shift flight operations to nearby Thiruvananthpuram and Calicut airport.


The naval air station catered to civilian flights until July 1999, when the Cochin international airport was commissioned.

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6:40 p.m.
Aluva water plant begins to function
About 40% of the water supply will be restored soon using alternative arrangements of power supply at the Aluva water treatment plant, Executive engineer, Kerala Water Authority, Aluva plant, has said.

While the raw water pumping has begun, clear water will soon enter the distribution line.

The plant will be providing the usual supply of 26 million litres a day to Aluva, Keezhmadu and Choonikkara areas.

The KWA officials at the Aluva plant said that they would continue their water supply to various places in their tankers.



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https://www.deccanchronicle.com/151130/nation-current-affairs/article/kerala-supply-reach-290-mld
Published Nov 30, 2015, 11:53 am IST

KOCHI: Renovation works being carried out at the Kerala Water Authority’s Aluva water treatment plant have entered the final stage. As part of modernization, the clear water pumping station – I is being shifted to a new facility.

The completion of the renovation will help KWA to enhance the supply from the plant to 290 MLD from the existing levels of the installed capacity of 225 MLD.

The existing clear water pumping station was set up in 1965. Under the Rs 14.35 crore renovation project undertaken under the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP), the treatment plant, intake and transmission line at the pump house are being modernised.

Replacement of clear water pumps, leaking pipes, operating valves and replacement of filter under drains are some of the components of the renovation.

With the shifting of the clear water pump, functioning of Plant – I will be completely stopped for two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in water supply disruption in many parts of the city and suburban areas.

Supply to all areas in Aluva, Keezhmad, Edathala, Elankunnapuzha, Njarackal, Karumaloor, Kadungalloor, Kalamassery, Eloor, Thrikkakara, Cheranalloor, Mulavukadu and Palluruthy will be completely disrupted on Tuesday.

Most of the areas in west Kochi like Thevara, Konthuruthy, Kadavanthra and Choornikkara will not get water on Tuesday and Wednesday.

An official release from the KWA has requested the residents to store enough water as it will take a couple of days for the supply to be normal.
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6:20 pm

Qatar contributes to Kerala flood relief
After the UAE, Qatar has come out in support of flood-hit Kerala.

The Qatar Charity, through its representative in India, has launched emergency relief for those affected by the huge floods with a total value of half a million riyals during the first stage, the Gulf Times reported.

Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani issued a directive to allocate $5 million (Rs. 34.89 crore) in aid of those affected by the floods that recently hit the southern Indian state of Kerala, to help provide shelter to those who lost their homes as a result of the humanitarian crisis, the daily reported. - PTI

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Ministry of Civil Aviation
19-August, 2018 18:16 IST
Update on relief operations in Kerala from Ministry of Civil Aviation

The update on relief operations from Ministry of Civil Aviation is as follows:
• Scheduled domestic airlines have mounted additional flights to/from Trivandrum, Calicut and Coimbatore airports to minimize passenger inconvenience. Airlines are also displaying status of rescheduled and additional flights on their respective websites along with waiver of cancellation/change ticket charges. Eight foreign carriers have also rescheduled their flights to/from Trivandrum.

• Based on satisfactory safety risk assessment, SOP of M/s Alliance Air for operation of ATR72 aircraft to/from INS Garuda, Cochin has been approved.

• Schedule submitted by M/s Alliance Air for Bengaluru-Cochin-Bengaluru (02 flights) and Bengaluru-Coimbatore-Cochin-Coimbatore-Bengaluru (01 flight) on daily basis with ATR 72 aircraft has been approved for operation from INS Garuda, Cochin airport with effect from 20 Aug 2018.

Monitoring of airfare carried out on 19 Aug 2018 has revealed that maximum fares on various domestic non-stop direct routes to/from Kerala and nearby airports on ranging from INR 3395/- to INR 6999/- for shorter routes and from INR 6017/- to around INR 10000/- on longer routes.

• It is clarified that high airfares shown on some social media tweets are for hopping and very long duration flights.

• Control Room set up by DGCA continues to work round the clock to aid stranded/affected passengers due to flight cancellations in Cochin. More than 3980 queries have been addressed by the control room till date.

• Based upon request received from Kerala Government to facilitate them in air dropping of relief material, DGCA has permitted two helicopter operators M/s Ghodawat and M/s Devengere for carrying out aerial dropping of flood relief material.
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Ministry of Food Processing Industries
19-August, 2018 14:44 IST
Smt Harsimrat Badal appeals to food processing companies to contribute to Kerala flood hit relief efforts

Union Food Processing Industries Minister Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal today appealed to all food processing industries to come to the aid of the flood ravaged people of Kerala by generously donating processed food products for this noble cause.

In a statement here, Mrs Badal said the flood affected people of Kerala, thousands of whom were rendered homeless, needed processed food goods urgently. She said the food processing ministry had nominated two officers to coordinate this effort and that the industries could contact them to make desired donations.-

  1. Joint Secretary Sh Parag Gupta (9650872875) and
  2. Deputy Sectetary Sh Atyanand (9891614895)
Smt Badal said three lakh biscuit packets had already been delivered to the Kerala government by ITC and Britannia after a request made by her. She said the packets were delivered to officials at Trivandrum. Kochi and Malapuram for further distribution to the affected people of the state. “We will make efforts to ensure more donation coming to us following this fresh appeal is despatched to Kerala at the earliest”, she added.

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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
19-August, 2018 16:54 IST
We are extending all support for the flood relief measures in Kerala: J P Nadda

“Under the guidance of the Prime Minister, the Health Ministry is extending all support for the flood relief measures in Kerala. We are monitoring the flood situation in Kerala on a regular basis. Secretary (Health) is in Regular communication with the State health functionaries and monitoring the situation daily through the disease surveillance network”. This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare. He further stated that he has spoken to Smt. K K Shailaja, Health Minister, Kerala and is personally monitoring the situation.

To meet with this situation, 3757 medical relief camps have been set up. As requested by the State Government, 90 types of medicines, in the requested quantity are being sent to the State. The first tranche of medicines shall reach tomorrow. The Health Ministry is also coordinating with other States which have committed to providing medicines so as to augment supplies.

Health advisories on infectious disease prevention and control, safe drinking water, hygiene measures, vector control, etc., have been prepared and shared with the State Government. While no outbreak of communicable disease has been reported, health experts opine that once the flood water starts receding, the environment would be conducive for epidemic prone diseases. The State has been given instructions to switch to daily surveillance and monitoring for epidemic prone diseases for detecting early warning signs of an outbreak.

In consultation with the State Government, Government of India will deploy teams for rapid health assessment and for taking appropriate public health measures to prevent and control outbreak of epidemic prone diseases. Considering the additional burden of disease in the aftermath of the floods, quick response medical teams will also be sent to Kerala to provide emergency medical care. Support under National Health Mission will be provided to make the damaged primary health care infrastructure functional.

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Ministry of Home Affairs
19-August, 2018 19:15 IST
Rescue and Relief Operations continue in Kerala

NCMC directs Central Ministries to focus on provision of essential food and medicines and restoration of vital services

The Cabinet Secretary Shri PK Sinha, during the review meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) today, has directed that focus should now be on 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 Kerala. NCMC met for the fourth time today in four days to coordinate rescue and relief operations among the Defence Forces, NDRF, MHA and other Central Ministries and Kerala Government.

Rescue and Relief Operations are continuing in full swing. Thousands of personnel of Indian Navy, Air Force, Army, NDRF and CAPFs are engaged in the rescue, relief and evacuation operations in Kerala with the support of dozens of helicopters, aircrafts, hundreds of motorboats. The Operations will continue till the situation becomes normal.

So far they have rescued and evacuated more than 38,000 people from the flood-affected areas. Medical aid has been provided to more than 23,000 people. 3,00,000 food packets have been supplied by the Food Processing Ministry.

Railways are running two special trains tomorrow to Kolkata originating from Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. Train services are expected to be restored on all lines by Monday evening. A special train with 14,00,000 litres of water and a Navy ship with 8,00,000 litres of water will reach Kerala by tomorrow.

Commercial flights will start operating from Kochi Naval Base from Monday, 20th August. All logistic arrangements for this have been put in place.

The Department of Food and Public Distribution has made available 50,000 MT of food grains (rice and wheat) to meet the immediate requirements with additional quantities in the pipeline. The Department of Consumer Affairs has made arrangements to airlift 100 metric tonnes of pulses by tomorrow with additional quantities to be sent by train.

The 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.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is airlifting 60 tonnes of emergency medicines on Monday. It has put six specialised medical teams on standby.

The Railways will provide blankets and bedsheets to meet the immediate requirements of State Government. Air India has offered to airlift relief material without any cost.

The NCMC, which has commenced its meetings on the directions of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, will meet again tomorrow to review the situation. Today’s meeting was attended by Secretaries of Central Ministries including Home, Defence, Health, Civil Aviation, Food Processing and Power, Chairman, Railway Board and Senior Officers of Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, NDRF, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Chief Secretary, Kerala participated through video conference. He informed that the situation is gradually improving. India Meteorological Department has forecast less rainfall from tomorrow onwards for Kerala.



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https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...ood-victims/article24731531.ece?homepage=true
Dubai, August 19, August 19, 2018 19:39 IST
Updated: August 19, 2018 20:14 IST

Pledged ₹125-million fund for flood relief operations in Kerala
Indian-origin businessmen based in the UAE have announced ₹125 million donation for flood relief operations in the deluge-hit Kerala, according to a media report.

Nearly 200 people have lost their lives in Kerala since August 8 due to floods caused by rains and landslides, while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps.

The southern Indian state is facing its worst flood in 100 years with 80 dams opened and all rivers in spate. A body blow has been dealt to the scenic State, with its infrastructure, standing crops and tourism facilities severely hit.

Kerala-born businessman Yusuff Ali MA, Chairman and MD of Lulu Group, has announced a ₹50 million donation for rain-battered Kerala, Khaleej Times reported today.

KP Hussain, Chairman of Fathima Healthcare Group, has donated ₹50 million. He said that ₹10 million out of ₹50 million will directly go to the Kerala Chief Minister’s relief fund, while the rest will be allocated for medical relief aid, the Gulf paper added.

Hussain said that his group has coordinated with the State’s health secretary to send volunteers from its medical faculty. This includes doctors and paramedics being sent to relief camps.

Fear of diseases

“As per our geological studies and condition in Kerala, the stagnant water will be drain much later than expected. Hence, there is a high possibility of more deaths due to spreading of various diseases like fever, dysentery, gastric issues and skin disorders,” he was quoted as saying by the paper.

“This situation needs to be handled very seriously and emergency treatment has to be provided with immediate effect. As recommended by the public health secretary, we have received the list of medicines which will be supplied to the relief camps.”

Other UAE-based businessmen had pledged amounts to help in flood relief operations.

India-born billionaire BR Shetty, Chairman of Unimoni and UAE Exchange, had pledged ₹20 million.

Azad Moopen, an Indian, Founder, Chairman and MD of Aster DM Healthcare, pledged₹5 million. The group also announced that it had mobilised a disaster support team of over 300 volunteers.

Yesterday, the United Arab Emirates Prime Minister and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum came out in support for Kerala and ordered the formation of an emergency committee to provide relief to the victims hit by devastating rains and floods.
 
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Unloading of relief material in progress at Cochin Port. | Photo Credit: Cochin Port Trust

Focus shifts to relief work in the State

After five days of extremely heavy rain and floods that ravaged several parts of Kerala, Sunday brought respite following a gradual decrease in rainfall and receding water levels in the flood-affected areas, particularly Chengannur and Chalakudy.

With 13 persons killed in rain-related incidents on Sunday, the death toll since August 8 stood at 210.

The focus has now shifted to relief work. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who said rescue operations were in the final round, said priority would now be given to providing safe drinking water and restoring electricity and water supply. A total of 7,24,649 displaced persons have been housed in 5,645 relief camps.

12.30 p.m.
Over 50,000 people rescued in Ernakulam
Rescue operations in the flood-ravaged Ernakulam district is technically over with more than 50,000 rescued in the last four days, says district collector Mohammed Y. Safirulla.

Only those stranded at Kuthiyathodu in North Paravur and Poovathussery in Parakkadavu block in Angamaly remain to be evacuated. “We are waiting for the road to those areas to become accessible,” Mr. Safirulla told The Hindu in a video interview at the rescue and operation centre set up at Pathadipalam near Kalamassery on Monday morning.

The death toll in the district has been pegged at 14 for the time being. However, the exact figure would be known probably in a week after processing the data of missing persons. Chances are many of them might be in some relief camps, said the collector.

12.20 p.m.
Flooding situation in Thrissur remains grim
The flooding situation continues to be grim in south-west areas in Thrissur district. 42 villages remain inundated. Around 60,000 people from these villages have been shifted to relief camps. Thousands of families in panchayats like Edathiruthy, Kaipamangalam, Perinjanam and Mathilakam on the banks of Canolly canal are in relief camps.

Efforts are on to build a bund across Karivannur river at Arattupuzha. Experts from Kuttanad have started building a bund with the advice of Army engineers.

The Army medical team has been deployed to Kuzhur and Kundur — the most affected areas in Thrissur district.

Anti-venom for snake bites has been arranged in five hospitals — Thrissur Medical College, Jubilee Mission Medical College Hospital, Irinjalakuda and Kodungallur Government Hospitals and Irinjalakuda Cooperative Hospital. The Health Department has asked people returning home to be careful about poisonous snakes. Six persons have suffered snake bite in Thrissur district on Sunday alone.

12.10 p.m.
Fuel shortage in Malappuram
The district is facing a heavy shortage of petrol and diesel even as an all-out effort is on to bring life back to normalcy in the wake of the largest floods that devastated Kerala.



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Long queues at a petrol bunk at Malappuram, August 20, 2018 | Photo Credit: Abdul Latheef Naha


Long queues were seen at some pumps where petrol was available on Monday morning. Some pumps have stopped giving petrol following quarrels between people over the quantity and preference in supply.

Although District Collector Amit Meena had assured on Saturday that enough stock of petrol was available in the district, only few pumps could supply fuel on Sunday, that too in limited quantity.

A social media message saying that the Collector had issued an order restricting the fuel supply only to government vehicles triggered confusion, anger and panic among the people here. But it was late found to be a fake message.

People alleged that some pumps, especially one at Padapparamba on Kottakkal- Perinthalmanna route, were giving petrol in the black market.

"I hope the tight will ease soon. I got two litres after standing in queue for a long time. Now the queue has begun to decrease," said Haris Aniyan, a municipal councillor who has been involved in relief work.
11.45 a.m
Kochi Mayor cancels daughter's wedding celebrations, donates money for flood relief
Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain has cancelled the wedding reception planned for her daughter Padmini and has decided to contribute the money earmarked for the celebration to the Chief Minister's flood relief fund. The wedding was to be held at Kochi on August 23.

Both the families of the bride and bridegroom decided to do away with the celebration and the reception. Now, the wedding will be a private function.

Mental health helpline in Kozhikode

The Kozhikode district mental health project and the Mental Health Centre have launched a live phone-in helpline to help mentally distressed people in flooded affected areas. The facility will be available from 9 a.m to 5 p.m The phone numbers are (8281904533, 8891224443, 8848813956)

Life kits for survivors in Kochi

Volunteers at the relief camp in Kochi will provide life kits to the flood victims who are going back to their homes. The kit will contain 5kg rice, pulses, salt, sugar, dhothis and nighties, mosquito repellants, toothpaste and toothbrush. Biscuits, tea dust, towels and two sets of undergarments will also be included in the kit. The kits are compiled at the camp from the relief materials collected from different sources.

Those who returned to their homes early were provided clothes, said doctors at the relief camp.

11.20 a.m
Relief material from across India arrives at Cochin Port
Relief material shipped from different parts of India have started arriving at the Cochin Port.

Naval ship INS Deepak, carrying relief materials from Mumbai, arrived with about 800 tonnes of fresh water and 18 tonnes of provisions.

The fresh water is being filled in 2 barges for supply to the affected areas and provisions are being unloaded to trucks for distribution. Another consignment of five containers of relief material sent by the shipping fraternity will arrive at the port tonight. Relief material mobilized by all major ports under Ministry of Shipping is being consolidated at VOC Port Trust, Tuticorin and these are expected to arrive here in the coming days.

Anti-venom being sourced

The Wildlife Trust of India and a few doctors are sourcing anti-venom from a Pune-based firm for Kerala as there is the high possibility of incidents of snake bite in the post-flood scenario. A map of hospitals where anti-venom is available and a pictorial map of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes will be circulated. A Whatsapp group of snake rescuers too will be launched.

10.30 a.m.
People in Kozhikode relief camps start returning home
Kozhikode is limping back to normal as relief and rehabilitation continued on Monday. Water levels have started to recede. At least 50% of the inmates of the government-sponsored relief camps have left for their respective homes.



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NSS volunteers of Providence College in Kozhikode, August 20, 2018 | Photo Credit: Biju Govind

As of now, 23,000 people are still sheltered at 150 camps in four taluks in the district.

9.00 a.m.
Alliance Air flight lands at Kochi Navy airport


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An Alliance Air flight from Bengaluru lands at Kochi naval airport, August 20, 2018 | Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat

An Alliance Air flight from Bengaluru carrying 71 passengers landed at Kochi Navy airport this morning. The airport had stopped commercial operations nearly two decades ago. Indigo has plans to operate ATR flights from the Naval Airport. It has 8 ATRs in service, and will carry out a trial run in the afternoon.


Kerala pulls off the near-impossible, but work half done
Not everything went right. There were huge slips. There were also those hours of despair and helplessness. But Kerala stood firm, braving the swirling waters and the heavy odds germane to an unprecedented catastrophe, to pull off a near-impossible rescue and relief operation spread over almost its entire stretch.

Read more

Special proposal needed for additional Central aid
The State government will have to submit a special proposal to the Central government for securing additional assistance to manage the havoc wreaked by the floods.

Sources privy to the procedures told The Hindu here that furnishing the proposal with specific details regarding the damage sustained in different realms such as agriculture, road and other infrastructure facilities, the Union Cabinet could consider it as a special case and grant the assistance.

The Centre has already rated the flood as a Level I disaster as per the National Disaster Management Plan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a preliminary relief of ₹500 crore.

Read more

Central aid inadequate: Yechury
Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday visited the relief camps and material collection centres in Thiruvananthapuram. In the morning, he visited a relief camp at Kalady and later the relief material collection centre at SMV Higher Secondary School. He commended the young volunteers for the hard work they had put in over the past few days.

Daredevil pilot’s tightrope walk

KOCHI , August 20, 2018 00:10 IST
Updated: August 20, 2018 07:46 IST

20TVGARUD


Lieutenant Commander Abhijeet Garud. | Photo Credit: s anandan

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/daredevil-pilots-tightrope-walk/article24732697.ece

He rescues chair-bound old woman from flood hit Aluva-Chalakudy stretch

“It was a tightrope walk,” Lieutenant Commander Abhijeet Garud recalls his daredevil landing, a ‘light on the wheels’ manoeuvre in military parlance, on the terrace of a house on August 17 to rescue a chair-bound woman, in her 80s, from the flood hit Aluva-Chalakudy stretch.

IN 566, the naval Sea King helicopter of the Southern Naval Command-based Flaming Arrows squadron which he flies, was over the area for the second day to airdrop Gemini boats and eight divers for rescue operations besides airlift people marooned on roof-tops and terraces and drop. “We were about eight km from the Naval Base as the crow flies,” he narrated the event, while having a quick snack between relief sorties on Sunday afternoon.

Absolute mayhem

“We had dropped the Gemini and food packets on the highway. There was absolute mayhem, with the floods running riot. There was not a single building where you would overfly and people were not on top. Now, you have to pick up some and leave some others, as you can only pick up so much.

“Then there was this old house outside which some old women were standing. I said, ‘Let’s pick them up’. I hovered and picked up about 20-25 people. I was at hover and the winch operations were on. That was then I saw an old lady being carried by a few men on a chair. She couldn’t get into the rescue basket [to be winched up]. She couldn’t even move. So, the only way was to lower the height [of the aircraft] further.

“The crew decided that all four sides were clear and slowly we started coming down. Now, my field of view is very limited. It was like being led blindfolded and you take each step gingerly. The crew, which knows the behaviour of the chopper, said there was space and I took the call to land. We are trained for such operations,” says Lt Cdr Garud, smiling, with full faith in his crew comprising co-pilot Lt Cdr Rajneesh, navigator Lt Satyarth, winch operator Ajit and free diver Rajan.

Precarious position

But it was a precarious position where the wheels of the medium-lift helicopter barely touch the terrace top so that the copter weight is not passed on to the terrace floor. “If you transfer the weight fully down, the building might give way. If you do this manoeuvre for a long time, you could get into a condition called ‘ground resonance’, which would disintegrate the helicopter in a matter of minutes. So, I was maintaining a fine balance,” he explains.

A video of his daredevil landing, taken by a local, was viral on social media.

On that sortie, Lt Cdr Garud and his crew shipped about 25 stranded people to safety. “There were two children, too. Water was at the level of the first floor and despite the floor being slippery, these men, their feet bare, brought the ailing woman and helped her onto the helicopter,” he recalls.

During their sorties in the days that followed, the team rescued several stranded people, including three pregnant women.

During the missions, he came across situations where people were frightened to be winched up or unaware of the precautions to be taken when a helicopter hovers over them.

“At a spot, we wanted to go down to pick up a few people, but there were some on a canoe nearby which would have toppled in the strong winds if we had done so,” he said.

On Sunday, he flew relief sorties to Thiruvalla and North Paravur.

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https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...k-half-done/article24732692.ece?homepage=true

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM , August 20, 2018 00:09 IST
Updated: August 20, 2018 13:13 IST
This is one crisis that tested the quality of the State’s political leadership and the government

Not everything went right. There were huge slips. There were also those hours of despair and helplessness. But Kerala stood firm, braving the swirling waters and the heavy odds germane to an unprecedented catastrophe, to pull off a near-impossible rescue and relief operation spread over almost its entire stretch.

This was one crisis that tested the quality of the State's political leadership and the government, particularly Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, proved that it and he were up to the challenge, mobilising the entire State administrative machinery, commandeering the might of the Indian armed forces and welding that into the largely volunteer-driven rescue and relief effort, saving over 22,000 persons from the jaws of peril and moving 7.24 lakh flood-ravaged people, a large number of them the young and the aged, to safety within five days.

The full magnitude of the crisis took a while to register in the public mind as is evident from the videos now in circulation about families that refused to move out of their double-storeyed homes, confident that the waters would not catch up with them at that height. With the waters of Periyar, Pamba, Chalakkudy, and many others rising by the minute, their confidence gave way to anxiety and soon to desperation.

Soon, all social media platform began to be jammed by distress calls from the kin of those caught in the worst flood in Kerala's history and one that dredged up memories of the great flood of 1924.

Single-minded effort

One striking feature of the nerve-wracking exercise for everyone involved was the absence of mud-slinging, particularly between the political leaderships at the Centre and in the State.

The Chief Minister was in daily communication with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, and all three showed that politics could wait in the face of a calamity of gargantuan dimensions. At a time when Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala was speaking critically of the State government's refusal to hand over the entire operation to the Army, the Prime Minister and Home Minister were openly appreciative of the work being done in the State, and liberal with their release of resources to meet the immediate needs.

This was the biggest rescue operation carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The mobilisation by the Army, Navy and Air Force were equally massive and appropriate to the situation.

The Army mobilised as many as 15 columns of its personnel, 36 Engineering Technical Force (ETF) groups, 12 medical teams and one Special Forces team; the Navy moved in with 223 rescue and four medical teams; the Air Force deployed 11 Mi-17, eight ALH and six Chetak helicopters, four C-17, three IL-76, six C-130 and 10 AN 32 aircraft with men and material; and the Coast Guard chipped in with 36 DRTs, 36 boats, 11 non-motorised boats, 21 hired boats and one Dornier and two Chetak helicopters. But for the presence of the armed forces personnel and their collaterals, the rescue operations would not have been so quick.

However, the ones who stole the hearts of the marooned people and everybody else were the fishers, particularly those from Kollam, who donated themselves to the cause of rescuing their fellow beings from the rising waters. Taking the cue, fishers from Thiruvananthapuram and other parts of the State too rushed to Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Thrissur to save precious lives.

The distressing events of the last seven days also saw volunteerism at its inspiring best with young and old, men and women, and those in the media, plunging into the rescue and relief work and many from outside the State, and abroad, sending in money and material to help the flood-hit thousands.

But the work is only half done. What awaits Kerala is a humongous task of rebuilding lives and infrastructure, both public and private. What awaits the State is a major healthcare challenge, the prevention of disease outbreaks in the flood-hit districts, restoration of water supply and power infrastructure, reconstruction of roads and bridges, the losses on account of which alone has been tentatively estimated at ₹4,441 crore.

The Chief Minister has postponed his visit to the US for treatment to see completion of the still unfinished rescue and relief work and set the reconstruction work in motion. And, then will come the long-term questions about the State's developmental priorities, its habitation patterns and the way it wishes to treat its forests, hills and water courses.
 
Vice President's Secretariat
20-August, 2018 18:10 IST
Rajya Sabha Chairman, Lok Sabha Speaker appeal to MPs to generously contribute for Kerala flood relief

Both donate their one month salary and urge MPs to consider doing so Make joint appeal as the calamity is of a ‘severe nature’

The Vice President of India & the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu and the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, here today, urged the Members of Parliament (both Rajya Sabha & Lok Sabha) to generously contribute from their MPLADS funds for relief and rehabilitation works in flood affected Kerala besides considering to donate their one month’s salary for the same. Both the Presiding Officers of Parliament took the lead by announcing their decision to donate their one month salary for relief works in Kerala.

Shri Naidu and Smt. Mahajan met this evening at the official residence of Vice President of India and discussed the scale of damage in Kerala before issuing the joint appeal. The appeal to MPs, read out to the media by Shri Naidu said:

“Hon’ble Members are aware that there has been large scale devastation in various parts of Kerala due to floods in the State in which many people have lost their lives and thousands are left stranded besides heavy damage to property. Keeping in view the intensity and magnitude of the floods in Kerala, the Government of India has declared this a calamity of a ‘severe nature’.

Paragraph 2.8 of the Guidelines of Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme reads as follows:

“In the event of ‘Calamity of severe nature’ in any part of the country, an MP can recommend works up to a maximum of Rs.1 cr for the affected district”.

We appeal to all the Members of Parliament to contribute generously from their MPLADS funds for relief and rehabilitation works in the affected areas of Kerala, as permissible under the MPLADS Guidelines, accordingly.

We have decided to donate our one month’s salary towards Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for this noble and humanitarian cause. We also appeal to all the Members of Parliament to consider donating their one month’s salary for the purpose”.

Shri Naidu and Smt. Sumitra Mahajan will also write letters to Members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively seeking their generous help, enclosing therewith the joint appeal made today.

At the behest of Shri Naidu, Rajya Sabha Secretariat on the 16th of this month wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the Government’s assessment of the scale of calamity in Kerala and the Government clarified that “Keeping in view of the intensity and magnitude of the floods/landslides of 2018 in Kerala, this is a calamity of a ‘severe nature’ for all practical purposes.”

Shri Naidu, earlier in the day discussed with the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Shri Harivansh, who is also the Chairman of the MPLADS Committee and senior officials the MPLADS Guidelines and the need to reach out to MPs for their generous contributions for relief works in Kerala. He also spoke to former Deputy Chairman, Prof. P.J. Kurien, who is in Kerala, about the severity of the damage.

As per MPLADS Guidelines, if the Government declares a calamity as of ‘severe nature’, each Member of Parliament can contribute up to Rs. 1.00 cr for relief and rehabilitation works. The Guidelines further say that from the day an MP makes such contribution, concerned authorities have to identify relief works in one month time and the same should be implemented within eight months.

***

Ministry of Civil Aviation
20-August, 2018 19:49 IST
Update on relief operations in Kerala from Ministry of Civil Aviation

The update on relief operations from Ministry of Civil Aviation is as follows:

• Alliance Air has commenced scheduled air services to/from INS Garuda, Cochin with ATR-72 aircraft. IndiGo would also be commencing scheduled operations to/from INS Garuda, Cochin w.e.f. 21 Aug 2018.

• Details of Flight Schedule Approved by DGCA to/from INS Garuda, Cochin:

- M/s Alliance Air:

Bengaluru-Cochin-Bengaluru (02 flights)
Chennnai-Trichy-Cochin-Chennai (01 flight)
Hyderabad-Bengaluru-Cochin-Hyderabad (01 flight)

- IndiGo:

Bengaluru-Cochin-Bengaluru (01 flights)
Bengaluru-Cochin-Chennai & vv (01 flight)

• Monitoring of airfare carried out on 20 Aug 2018 has revealed that maximum fares on various domestic non-stop direct routes to/from Kerala and nearby airports remained within the limits specified by DGCA.

• Based upon request received from Kerala Government to facilitate them in air dropping of relief material, DGCA has permitted three helicopter operators M/s Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd., M/s Ghodawat and M/s Devengere for carrying out aerial dropping of flood relief material.
*****
RJ
 
Ministry of Home Affairs
20-August, 2018 19:00 IST
Essential food and medicines being moved to Kerala as Rescue and Relief Operations continue

NCMC reviews relief operations in coordination with Kerala Government

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) met for the fifth time in five days here today to review the rescue & relief operations in the flood affected areas in Kerala. Cabinet Secretary Shri PK Sinha, chaired the meeting. The Chief Secretary of Kerala participated in the meeting via video conference. He informed that there has been less rainfall and floodwater has started receding.

The department of Consumer Affairs has dispatched 100 MT of pulses today. The Ministry of Health has airlifted 52 MT of emergency medicines. Another 20 MT of medicines will reach Kerala by tonight. 20MT of bleaching powder and one crore Chlorine tablets will be dispatched by tomorrow. 12 medical teams have also been put on standby. No outbreak of disease has been reported so far.

The Ministry of Power has moved power equipment like electricity meters, coils, transformers etc. to restore the distribution network. Power generation has reached 2600 MW and no difficulty is envisaged on this score.

The department of Telecom has made operational 77000 [towers out of total 85000 towers in the State. Out of 1407 telephone exchanges, except 13 all are made functional. DoT has operationalised a helpline with number 1948 to help trace missing persons.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has made available 12000 KL of Kerosene. Adequate arrangements have been made for distribution of LPG cylinders. Adequate aviation fuel is also made available.

With regard to cattle fodder, 450 MT has been dispatched. Two lots of veterinary medicines have also been dispatched.

Railways have offered to supply required amounts of water and also transport relief material free of cost. Adequate quantities of milk and milk power have been made available by Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

The NCMC meeting was attended by Secretaries of Central Ministries including Health, Telecom, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Power, Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Senior Officers of Defence Forces, MHA and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).



*****

BB/NK/PK/SS
 
21TH-NDRF


August 20, 2018 22:36 IST
Updated: August 20, 2018 22:47 IST

https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...vere-nature/article24739342.ece?homepage=true

There are no legal provisions for govt to designate a disaster a ‘national calamity’
The Union government has declared the Kerala floods a “calamity of severe nature”. Here is a look at what this means, whether the State can expect additional help from the Centre and how the various disaster relief funds in the country are funded and deployed.

What are the classifications of disasters and how does this affect funding?
According to the National Disaster Management Policy, the State governments have to provide disaster relief from their respective State Disaster Response Funds (SDRFs), and only for a “calamity of severe nature”, will additional assistance be provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

There is, however, no provision in the law or rules for the government to designate a disaster a “national calamity”.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju informed Parliament recently that the guidelines of the NDRF and SDRFs did not contemplate declaring a disaster a national calamity.

How are the NDRF and the SDRFs funded?
The NDRF is funded through a National Calamity Contingent Duty levied on pan masala, chewing tobacco and cigarettes, and with budgetary provisions as and when needed. A provision exists to encourage any person or institution to make a contribution to the NDRF. However, this source of funding has not been tapped so far, according to the government.

The 14th Finance Commission recommended changes to this structure once the cess was discontinued or subsumed within the Goods and Services Tax. However, the government, instead, decided to continue with the National Calamity Contingent Duty even in the GST regime.

The SDRF corpus is contributed by the Union government and the respective State governments in a 75:25 ratio for general category States and 90:10 for Special Category States.

The allocation of the SDRF for each State is done by the Finance Commission, and the Centre contributes its specified share each financial year.

The Central share of SDRF is released in two equal instalments, in June and then in December.

What has been the trend in budgetary allocations to the NDRF and SDRFs?
The Union government has maintained a steady flow of funds to the NDRF each year, ranging from ₹5,690 crore in 2015-16 to a budgeted amount of ₹2,500 crore for the current financial year. In addition, the Centre has also been contributing to the SDRFs every year, amounting to ₹ 8,374.95 crore in 2016-17 and ₹7,281.76 crore in 2017-18.

How have NDRF funds been allocated to States in the recent past?
In 2017-18, up to December 27, 2017, the central government released NDRF funds to nine states — Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana — over and above its contributions to their respective SDRFs. The recipient of the highest amount of these states was Karnataka, which got ₹913 crore that year.

Over the last four years, up to December 27, 2017, the Centre has released the most cumulative funds to Maharashtra (₹5,244.69 crore), Karnataka (₹5,122.45 crore), Uttar Pradesh (₹4,949.04 crore), Tamil Nadu (₹3,115.31 crore), and Madhya Pradesh (₹1,958.93 crore).

For specific calamities, the Centre released ₹1,365.67 crore for the Chennai floods of 2015 and ₹218.76 crore for relief after cyclone Vardah in 2016.
 
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21THNSMKARNATAKASTATERESERVEPOLICE

In tough terrain: Karnataka State Reserve Police involved in rescue in Kodagu district on Monday. | Photo Credit: TH

https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...gu-district/article24740220.ece?homepage=true


Death toll put at 12 as multiple agencies remove 4,320 people to safety
The continuing rescue and relief operations in Kodagu district have reached their last phase with the Army and National Disaster Response Force personnel searching isolated villages even as the authorities confirmed the death toll at 12 in the district.

Multiple agencies involved in the operations have so far rescued 4,320 people.

A team of experts from the National Geophysical Research Institute, headed by H.M.S. Prakash, former Deputy Director-General of Geological Survey of India, has started geotechnical studies in areas where there have been landslips.

Sanitation drive

Relief Commissioner Gangaram Baderia said the district administration is working on combating the outbreak of diseases and is ensuring cleanliness and hygiene.

For the sanitation drive, additional staff have been deployed from other cities, including 300 pourakarmikas from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, besides seven health inspectors and engineers.

Toilets rushed

Bio-toilets and mobile toilets are being rushed to relief centres while the district administration has taken measures to ensure supply of clean drinking water to the villages.

A decision has been taken to provide employment opportunities for the displaced under the MGNREGA scheme and also involve them in clearing debris.

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https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...d-in-kerala/article24740202.ece?homepage=true

hiruvananthapuram, August 21, 2018 00:41 IST
Updated: August 21, 2018 00:41 IST

Domestic flights begin from Kochi naval air base; focus on communications, power & water supply
A battered Kerala began picking up the pieces on Monday as the rain abated and water began receding from flood-affected areas even as the Central government said the situation in the State had been categorised as an L3 level disaster under the National Disaster Management Guidelines. (L3 is the highest disaster categorisation by scale and population of the devastated area. )

The State government has convened an all-party meeting on Tuesday to discuss the flood havoc. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the rescue operations would continue till the last of the marooned victims were brought to safety.

Death toll 223

As many as six deaths were reported in the State on Monday, taking the toll since August 8 to 223. A total of 10,28,073 people, including 1,01,049 children, were housed in 3,274 relief camps. Road, rail and air traffic were partially restored.

Efforts were on to resume communication services and power and water supply. Distribution of relief material was stepped up, even as people began returning to their houses. Local collectives were constituted to help residents clean up their houses and disinfect water sources. Medical teams began fanning out across the districts.

Domestic flights from Kochi began from the naval air base on Monday with carriers using small aircraft. A medical team began an arduous trek to Palakkad’s Nelliyampathy hill station, which was cut off by landslips.

Responding to a public interest petition in the High Court, Assistant Solicitor General N. Nagaresh said there was no provision in the statute or manuals to declare a disaster as ‘National Calamity.’ He however said the Centre considered the flood situation in Kerala as a disaster of serious nature.

The Union Ministry of Health airlifted 52 metric tonnes of emergency medicines to Kerala. Another 20 MT would reach the state tonight, the National Crisis Management Committee which met in New Delhi was informed. A consignment of bleaching powder and chlorine tablets would be despatched on Tuesday and 12 medical teams were put on standby.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said it had sanctioned 12000 KL of kerosene for Kerala and made arrangements for distribution of LPG cylinders.

The Chief Minister said volunteers had been enlisted to clean up damaged houses. Electrical and plumbing jobs would be done free of cost and hospitals supplied with anti venom to deal with snake bites.

Mr.Vijayan said the state would require almost as much as the annual Plan outlay of ₹37248 cr for reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by the floods. He said the Central Government was expected to provide assistance to help the state tide over the crisis.

Revenue Minister E.Chandrasekharan said all flood victims would be compensated for losses based on reports and verification by revenue authorities.

The State Level Bankers Committee which met here on monday announced a moratorium on repayment of interest on crop loans for a period of one year. Based on a request from Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar, the committee also resolved to restructure the repayment of the loan amount over a period of five years.

Nationalised banks, cooperative banks, small finance banks and scheduled banks have also agreed not to invoke the SARFAESI ACT to attach properties for default on crop loan availed by farmers. according to government estimates, crops in 46,000 hectares have been destroyed by the floods causing a loss of ₹1050 cr for 280,450 farmers.
 
20THRDKOCHI


Back in the air: Passengers of an aircraft from Bengaluru that landed at the Kochi Naval airport on Monday.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...-naval-base/article24739399.ece?homepage=true
IndiGo to operate Bengaluru, Chennai services
Flight connectivity to Kochi resumed on Monday as Air India subsidiary Alliance Air operated three flights to the naval airbase, which was okayed for commercial flights last week after the local airport was shut for operations due to flooding on August 15.

IndiGo has also announced three flights connecting the city with Bengaluru and Chennai from Tuesday.

A spokesperson of Jet Airways said that it also plans to start flights to Kochi soon.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement that, on the request of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, it has approved three helicopter operators, including Pawan Hans, to air drop relief material in the State.

The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport operated 18 re-scheduled flights in the international sector, and another nine in the domestic sector on Monday, much to the relief of fliers.

The Railways commenced services on the Ernakulam-Thrissur-Shoranur section, and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) was able to ply buses on all routes, except to the hill station of Munnar.

Rush on trains

With Onam and Bakrid round the corner and educational institutions remaining closed for Onam, bus stations and railway stations have become busy. Unprecedented rush is being witnessed on long-distance trains.

With the Railways restoring traffic on the Ernakulam-Thrissur-Shoranur section, trains can run from Kasaragod to Kanniyakumari via Shornur and Palakkad, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Nagercoil junction. The only corridor in the railway network of the State that is out of bounds for trains is Punkunnam-Guruvayur, where restoration work is on in full swing.

In the Palakkad Railway Division, 90% of trains have been restored. The holding-up of rakes belonging to the Thiruvananthapuram Division in Palakkad due to suspension of trains in the Ernakulam-Shoranur section is leading to full restoration of trains, a Railways spokesperson said, adding that this will take days.

Out of 91 Mail and Express trains handled daily at Thiruvananthapuram, 75 were restored on Monday. “Cent per cent trains will be back in two to three days,” Divisional Railway Manager Shirish Kumar Sinha told The Hindu.
 
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
21-August, 2018 18:49 IST
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan expresses solidarity with the people of Kerala and offers his condolences to the bereaved families

Central Government has taken an immediate decision to help the flood victims of Kerala by allocating an additional 89,540 tonnes of food grains (at a rate of 5 kilograms per person) for families left out of the National Food Security Act: Shri Paswan With this decision, the arrangement of grains for the entire population of the state of Kerala will be possible: Shri Ram Vilas Paswan

The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan briefed media regarding the relief measures for the flood affected State of Kerala. Shri Paswan expressed solidarity with the people of Kerala and offered his condolences to the families of those bereaved. The Union Minister also hailed the efforts of the Armed forces who have been working day and night to save lives and provide relief material to those affected while risking their own lives. Shri Paswan said that while the flood water levels are receding, this is a crucial period as the risk of spread of water borne diseases increases. He also assured that Central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will provide as much help as possible to Kerala.

Talking about the relief measures, Shri Paswan said that the Chief Minister of Kerala has demanded 1 lakh 18 thousand tonnes of food grain from the Food Department. Under the National Food Security Scheme, Kerala is already being supplied 1 lakh 18 thousand tonnes of food grains per month which will continue. In addition to this, the Central Government has taken an immediate decision to help the flood victims of Kerala by allocating 89 thousand 540 tonnes of food grains (at a rate of 5 kilograms per person) for families left out of the National Food Security Act. With this decision, the arrangement of grains for the entire population of the state of Kerala will be possible. 100 tons of pulses have already been sent to kerala through a special aircraft. In addition, 80 tons of pulses will be sent per day.

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Ministry of Defence
21-August, 2018 19:13 IST
HADR Operations by IAF in Kerala

Many parts of Kerala continue to be affected by landslides and floods. Indian Air Force responded immediately to the crisis in extending all possible assistance to the residents of Kerala through Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) missions. Concerted efforts were made by IAF in rescuing stranded people from the flooded areas. Ladies, children, elderly people and residents were winched from the rooftops of submerged houses to safety by IAF helicopters. Till date, IAF has rescued 663 people. IAF helicopters have also dropped of food and water packets to the stranded people in the affected areas. Transport aircraft from all corners of the country have been flying day and night to ensure relief material is available in the relief camps.

Since yesterday, water has started receding from the flood affected districts. Today, IAF reduced the rescue effort and has increased the relief operations. Till date 974 T of relief material has been airlifted to Kerala state. Medical teams from Southern Air Command and Training Command have been deployed at various places to provide medical assistance. In addition, No 1 Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT) has been airlifted from Command Hospital Air Force Bengaluru to Thiruvanathapuram to assist in the medical relief efforts to the residents of Kerala. RAMT has the capability to provide both medical and surgical emergency medical care. Additionally, 119 Doctors with 63 T of medicine and equipment has been airlifted to Kochi and Thiruvanathapuram for further positioning at various medical camps.



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Ministry of Food Processing Industries
21-August, 2018 12:01 IST
Smt Harsimrat Badal speaks with Chief Minister of Kerala; assures all assistance to the State from her Ministry

Smt Badal meets Industry leaders to request assistance for people of Kerala

Union Minister for Food Processing Industries met with food processing industry leaders late evening yesterday to plan a strategy for assistance to be provided to people of Kerala. The meeting was attended by representatives from companies like ITC, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Hindustan Unilever, Dabur, MTR, Nestle, Britannia, Maricoamong others. The Minister said “It is time to work as a cohesive unit and make a coordinatedeffort to help the people of Kerala, instead of separate entities making individual efforts.” Smt Badal said that her Ministry was in regular contact with the State Government and district officials to gather their requirements.



Smt Badal spoke with Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri Pinari Vijayan to express her concern on the calamity and assured the State Government of all assistance from Ministry of Food Processing Industries. The Minister sought Shri Vijayan’s inputs on what assistance was immediately required, to which the Chief Minister informed that lakhs of infants in Relief Camps were in requirement of baby food. The requirement was conveyed to food processing companies by the Union Minister.



The meeting was in pursuance of an appeal by Smt Badal on 19th August, 2018 to food processing companies across India to contribute generously to the Kerala relief operations. Consequently, the companies have pledged full support to the endeavour by Ministry of Food Processing Industries to reach out to the affected population. Some of the contributions already made or pledged for delivery within 2 days are mentioned below:



Coke

1.4 lakh litres of packaged drinkingwater already supplied

1 lakh litres of packaged drinking water in next two days including 20,000 bottles tomorrow

Britannia

2.10 lakh packets of biscuits (6.5 Tonnes) already delivered at Kochi, 1.25 lakh packets delivered at Malapuram and Wayanad

1.25 lakh packets of biscuits to be delivered in next two days

3000 Buns and 10,000 packets of biscuits to be supplied from Madurai

Bikanervala

1 MT of Namkeen(1 Lakh Packets)- in coordination with CII for delivery

MTR Foods Pvt. Ltd

35,000 Ready To Eat packets already delivered to Wayanad

Nestle

90,000 packets of Maggi, 2 lakhs packet of Munch, 1100 packets of coffee, 2500 of UHT Milk already supplied

40,000 packets of Maggi, 1 lakh Munch, 1100 packs of coffee and 2500 UHT milk will be supplied along with 30,000 packs of Ready To Drink Milo; 10,000 packs of Serigo

Dabur

30,000 to 40,000 litres tetra-packed juices

10,000 tubes of Odomos

PepsiCo

6.78 lakh litres of packaged drinking water, 10,000 kg Quaker Oats

GSK

Relief material worth Rs. 10.00 Lakhs, 1 million packets of Horlicks and 1 Million Crocin Tablets will be supplied

Bagrrys India Limited

10,000 packets of oats (2MT) will be supplied

ITC

3.30 lakh packets of biscuits, 2000 bottles of Savlon, 3000 packets of dairy whitener, 9000 packets of liquid hand wash and 7000 soaps

Pernard Ricord and Cargill

Assured to coordinate with Amul for supply of milk powder and baby foods

Marico

Committed to supply 30MT Oats

Mondelez India Foods Limited

Cash contribution of Rs.10.00 Lakhs to CM relief fund

Hindustan Unilever

Salt 9,500 cases, Wheat Products 29,000 cases, Ketchup 1,000 cases, Spices Mix masala 250 cases and other products supplied across Kerala



The Union Minister reiterated her nomination of following Officer to coordinate this effort and the industries could contact them to make desired donations.



  1. Shri Atyanand, Deputy Secretary (8800485805)


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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
21-August, 2018 18:18 IST
Shri J P Nadda chairs high level meeting to review the relief measures in Kerala

We are extending all support and assistance to the State: J P Nadda

Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare held a high level meeting to review the relief measures in Kerala. ShriAshwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State from Health and Family Welfare and Smt.Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health) along with other senior officers from NCDC and DGHS participated in the meeting. ShriNadda stated that the outbreak situation is being monitored on a daily basis and the strategic Health Operation Centre has been activated. He further said that no outbreak of communicable disease has been reported yet. He stated that he is in regular communication with Smt. K KShailaja, Health Minister, Kerala and is personally monitoring the situation.Secretary (Health) is also indaily communication with the State health functionaries and monitoring the situation daily.

To meet with the situation, 65 metric tonnes of essential emergency drugs for flood situation havebeen airlifted today by IAF and have reached Trivandrum. 1 cr chlorine tablets have been sent today and another 1 crare in transit. The total request for 4 crchlorine tablets will be sent in phases. The Health Ministry has further mobilized20 MT of bleaching powder which is being sent by road of which10 MT will reach today and another 10 MT tomorrow.Additional 40 MT of bleaching powder are being procured and shall reach Kerala soon.

In addition, 12 public health teamshave already been constituted,one each for all 12 worst affected districts and ready for deployment on request of the State. Also, 10 specialist medical teams have also been constituted (30 specialists and 20 GDMOs). Besides, psycho-social teams from NIMHANS to be deployedas and when requested by the State government.

National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has issued several health advisories to support the State in meeting with post-flood public health management when the threat of water borne, vector borne and viral hepatitis diseases shall become potent. NCDC teams are ready for deployment to support the State.

As the flood situation in Kodagu in Karnataka is also worsening, one medical team from Bangalore to Kodagu district has also been dispatched there to provide necessary support.

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Ministry of Home Affairs
21-August, 2018 18:49 IST
Centre releases Rs.600 crore assistance to flood-affected Kerala

NCMC reviews relief operations in Kerala

Central assistance of Rs.500 crore, as announced by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and Rs.100 crore, announced by the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh, for flood affected Kerala has been released to the Government of Kerala today.

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) met for the sixth time in a row today to review the rescue & relief operations in the state. Cabinet Secretary Shri PK Sinha, chaired the meeting. The Chief Secretary of Kerala participated in the meeting via video conference and informed that the situation is now improving by and large though there are some isolated pockets still with water. Water levels are receding fast.

The Department of Food & Public Distribution has made additional allocation of 89,540 MT of rice as per State Government’s request.

The Department of Consumer Affairs, in addition to 100 MT of pulses supplied earlier, is sending additional quantities of green gram and Tur dal.

Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies have contributed Rs.25 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in Kerala. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has opened special points in the flood affected areas of the state for LPG distribution. Permission has also been granted, in coordination with the State Government, for non-certified vehicles to carry LPG cylinders. The Ministry has also made available 3.2 lakh LPG cylinders and 2.2 lakh regulators.

Railways have so far supplied 24 lakh litres of drinking water in addition to 2.7 lakh water bottles. Another 14 lakh litres water is currently available at Ernakulam. Railways has also made arrangements for supply of bed sheets and blankets. Trains on all sections have resumed. It is also transporting relief materials from various states to Kerala free of cost.

An Action Plan has been prepared for restoration of power supply in all the affected areas. 94% of telecom towers have been made functional. Power supply to telephone exchanges is being restored on priority.

The Health Ministry will supply 3 crore Chlorine tablets in addition to one crore tablets supplied earlier. 30 tonnes of bleaching powder and 1.76 lakh sanitary pads have also been sent. Additional quantities will also be sent in the next few days. No major outbreak of disease has been reported so far.

As per the State Government’s requirement, essential spices, salt, tea and coffee are also being supplied by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

The Finance Ministry has decided to waive off Customs Duty & IGST on the relief materials being imported to aid the people in the flood-affected areas in Kerala.

As the rescue operations wind down, State Administration has started de-requisitioning the teams of Defence Forces and NDRF.

The NCMC meeting was attended by Secretaries of Central Ministries including Health, Telecom, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Power, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Commerce and Textiles and Senior Officers of Defence Forces, MHA and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).



*****
 
Ministry of Railways
21-August, 2018 16:54 IST
Ministry of Railways extends all possible help to people of Kerala to combat floods

Indian Railways has restored all affected tracks, normal Rail traffic is being restored from today

Due to unprecedented intense rain during south west monsoon during the last one week, and consequent opening of about 36 dams in state of Kerala, 3 Divisions of Southern Railway were severely affected with heavy flash floods, land slips, boulder falling on track etc from 16.08.2018 as detailed below:-

a) In Thiruvananthapuram Division, Water level rose above danger level across 11 bridges, track got submerged at 3 locations, embankment washed away at 3 locations, Earth slips occurred at 7 locations over various sections.

b) In Palakkad Division, Water level rose above danger level across 10 bridges and track got submerged at one location.

c) In Madurai Division, earth slip and falling of boulders occurred at 6 locations.

d) Railway team worked with dedication round the clock to clear the hurdles in the flood hit sections and all sections in the main route of Kerala were opened 20th August 2018 as below:

Ø Thiruvananthapuram(TVC) to Nagarcoil(NCJ) section was suspended from 0700 hrs of 15.8.2018 and was given fit from 09.30 hrs of 16.8.2018.

Ø Ernakulam(ERS) – Kottayam(KTYM) suspended from 1600 hrs of 16.8.18, and given fit from 20 hrs of 19.08.2018.

Ø Ernakulam(ERS) – Shoranur(SRR) suspended from 1200 hrs of 16.8.18, and was given fit from 2315 hrs of 19.08.2018.

Ø Palakkad(PGT) – Shoranur(SRR) suspended from 1600hrs of 16.8.18 and was given fit at 0815hrs of 18.08.2018.

Ø Shoranur(SRR) – Kozhikkode(CLT) suspended from 1600hrs of 16.8.18 and was given fit at 0845 hrs of 19.8.18.

Ø Kollam(QLN) –Punalur(PUU) section was given fit on 20.08.2018.

Ø Punalur(PUU)-Senkottai(SCT) and Thrissur(TCR)- Gururvayur(GUV) branch lines with heavy damages and falling of large amounts of boulders are also being attended on war foot basis, likely to be ready within two three days.

e) A total number of 9 track machines were deployed round the clock to repair the tracks.

f) 7 special trains carrying boulders, sand and ballast were sent for the restoration of affected track and embankment portions.

g) HQ and Divisional team of about 30 Officers, 45 Supervisors and about 450 Railway Staff worked round the clock braving rain and water at adverse conditions with dedication and sincerity to restore the tracks on priority to give connectivity to state of Kerala at this critical time.

h) Almost All the train services except for few for want of pairing rakes are restored from today.

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Specials Trains to help stranded Passengers in Kerala :

Ø 61 Passenger specials were run in Thiruvanathapuram and Palakkad Divisions to connect stranded passengers. In particular, Thiruvananthapuram- Ernakulam section was connected by passenger Special Trains via Alleppey, which was not affected during the flood period every 3 hrs, helping all for the movement of people, rescue and relief team. This was appreciated by press and media widely.

Ø 13 Express specials were run from Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram, via Madurai from 17.08.2018 to 20.08.2018. Out of the above,

Ø 4 Trains from Ernakulam to Chennai Egmore,

Ø 3 Trains from Ernakulam to Santragachi,

Ø 1 Train between Thiruvananthapuram and Howrah,

Ø 1Train between Thiruvananthapuram and Silchar ,

Ø 1 Train from Thiruvananthapuram to Gorakhpur,

Ø 1 Train between Kochuveli and Bhubaneswar,

Ø 2 Trains from Chennai Egmore to Ernakulam were run.

Ø Among these, 3 specials were run from Ernakulam and Thiruvananthpuram to Santragachi based on the request from State Government of West Bengal.

Ø 1 special train from Kochuveli, Thiruvananthapuram to Bhubaneswar was run today on the request of State Government of Odisha.

Three Water rake Specials to Kerala:

Ø Southern Railway dispatched first water special with 7 BRN wagons carrying 2.8 lakh litres of water from Erode Jn Station to Kayankulam on 18.08.2018.

Ø Second water special from Erode with 10 BRN wagons carrying 3.2 lakh litre of water also reached Tiruvalla on 20.08.2018.

Ø Third water tank special with 29 tank wagons carrying 14.5 lakh litre of water which was dispatched from Pune on 18.8.2018 has reached Ernakulam on 20.08.2018.

Ø Railways are running more water specials to meet the request of State Govt.

Three lakh Rail Neer Bottles from IRCTC Plants in Southern Railway:

Ø Railway arranged 2 lakh numbers of one litre bottle of Rail Neer water to Flood Ravaged Kerala through Thiruvananthapuram Division.

Ø Another one lakh bottles are getting ready to be delivered.

Ø Railway Officials at Headquarters and Divisional Levels are coordinating with state Government officials of Kerala for the movement of the water bottles to required destination.

Deployment of Professional Swimmers:

Ø 10 employees who are Professional Swimmers of Thiruvananthapuram Division of Southern Railway were deputed to help in relief/rescue operations in connection with the flood affected areas in the district of Pattanamthitta for a period of 5 days, which was very much appreciated.

Contributions to Kerala CM’s Relief Fund:

Ø Rs.65 lakh was contributed by the Officers and staff of Trivandrum Division to Chief Minister of Kerala Relief Fund to assist flood victims. Divisional Railway manger Trivandrum handed over the cheque to Honorable Chief Minister of Kerala on 20.08.2018.

Free transportation of Rice Train Special from Chhattisgarh:

Ø One rake containing 2500 tons of Rice dispatched from Raipur to Kazhakutam by Chhattisgarh Government to support flood victims of KeralaRailways didn't charge any freight for this consignment. The rake is on run to the destination and is being closely monitored.

Free Transport of Relief Materials to Kerala:


Ø Railway is arranging free transport of flood relief materials till 31st August, 2018 to Stations in Kerala.

Ø Apart from government agencies, reputed organizations approved by DRMs were permitted to load the materials free of cost, to Stations within Kerala..

Ø Help desks are opened in 11 major Parcel offices across Southern Railway. viz., .Chennai Central Chennai Egmore .Madurai Tiruchchirappalli.Salem Tirunelveli. Villupuram, Karur.Tirupur.Erode and Coimbatore stations.

Blankets & Bed sheets being given to needy:

Ø 3000 bedsheets and 300 blankets are already handed over to the relief authorities by Thiruvananthapuram Division.

Ø 4000 bed sheets and 700 blankets are also being arranged from six division’s to Sr DCM Trivandrum to be handed over to Relief Authorities.

South Western Railway VPU with support materials:

Ø One VPU loaded with flood relief materials containing Rice, Dal, Sooji, Atta, oils, sugar, clothes, medicines, bleaching powder , etc., sent by SWR from Yashvantpur to Palakkad Division by Train No.16515 for distribution in Kerala.



Water Purifiers, and other materials:

Ø 150 Water purifiers sent by Train No.12626 has reached Piravam Road of Kerala today for distribution.

Ø Food packages, medicines, sanitary napkins, biscuits, soaps, etc., received at Parcel Help Desks are being dispatched to Kerala at regular intervals on priority.



Southern Railway(SR) Medical Aid through St.John’s Ambulance Brigade Service:

Ø SR Opened First-aid Booths at major railway stations viz., Tiruvalla, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Chengannur.

Ø 8 Lakhs worth of medical relief materials mobilized are being taken to Chengannur for distribution.



Southern Railway’s helping hand in all possible ways:

Ø Special control cells were opened in Trivandrum and Palakkad control Office which were coordinated by officers / Commercial inspectors

Ø Help desks, Enquiry Counters, Ticket refund Counters were opened at Trivandrum Central, Ernakulam Jn, Alleppey, Nagercoil, Thrissur, Mangalore Central, Kannur, Kozhikkode, Palakkad, Shoranur stations to help passengers.

Ø Press and media bulletins were released frequently to update public on trains services and relief/restoration works.

Shelter Arrangements free of cost:

Ø Paid AC waiting halls were opened to all passengers free of cost in both the divisions.

Ø Stranded passengers were accommodated in Panchayat community Centre Schools at Shoranur.

Ø At Chengannur, the pilgrimage Centre at the Railway premises has been converted into relief camp. More than 200 people have taken shelter there. Food packets and drinking water is being arranged by State Government officials.

Ø At different stations and locations station staff are actively helping the NDRF officials in rescuing the people who are stranded and taken shelter at Railway Stations Specially in Chalakkudi and Kottayam section of Trivandrum division and Shoranur station of Palakkad division.



Food Arrangements free of cost:



Ø At all major stations, Trivandrum and Palakkad the catering establishments are operated round the clock and food supplied to the needy on payment basis.

Ø Arrangements were made to supply food packets through NGO for stranded passengers in Aluva–Wadakkanchery section of Trivandrum and Shoranur in Palakkad division.

Ø Food packets were distributed to staff working in the section Shoranur – Calicut section.

Ø 12000 Food packets were arranged at Chalakkudi and Aluva during 16th to 18th August 2018.

Ø The staff of divisional office collected relief materials worth Rs 4 lakh which was also handed over to the district administration.



Rescue efforts of SR along with NDRF/State Govt:



Ø At Chalakkudi station which was marooned in floods, many rescue attempts were spearheaded by the Railway staff in coordination with the NDRF authorities and finally all 50 persons including Railway staff were rescued.

Ø Nearly 1000 locals were rescued by tower car operated in the traffic near Ernakulam on 17th and 18th August. A pregnant lady was rescued by boat from Chovvara station and airlifted to Thrissur, which was widely appreciated.

***
 
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
21-August, 2018 13:53 IST
User Fee Waived on Three Toll Plazas in Kerala

National Highways Authority of India – NHAI has waived off user fee at three toll plazas in Kerala in view of the unprecedented flood situation in the state. The waiver has been made on the toll plazas at Paliekkara in Thrissur district, Pampampallam in Palakkad district and Kumbalam in Cochin. It came into effect last week and will continue till the end of this week, that is the 26th of August.

Many highways in the state are flooded, including the stretches of NH-544 close to Aluva due to the unprecedented rains/opening of dams in several districts in the state.

***

Ministry of Shipping
21-August, 2018 18:08 IST
The Shipping Fraternity Comes Together for Kerala

Relief Material from Different Parts of the Country Being Brought to Cochin Port Via Coastal Movement Cochin Port Earmarks Two Berths for Vessels Bringing Relief Material


In the calamity hit state of Kerala, the Ministry of Shipping has taken the initiative to reach relief material from various parts of the country to Cochin Port through coastal shipping. The Cochin Port Trust has earmarked two berths at Mattancherry and Ernakulam wharfs for priority berthing of vessels bringing flood relief material to Kerala. Two warehouses have been especially earmarked for storage of relief materials and medicines.

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The relief material from the major ports at Tuticorin (V.O. Chidambaranar Port), Cochin, New Mangalore, Chennai and Kamaraj, is being aggregated at VOC Port in Tuticorin before being sent to Cochin Port via coastal shipping.

Naval Ship INS Deepak from Mumbai has brought in about 800 tonnes of fresh water and 18 tonnes of provisions to Cochin . Fresh water is being discharged to two barges for supply to the affected areas. INS Deepak will make another call at Cochin Port with relief material tomorrow. A coastal crude oil vessel Swarna Godavari from Mumbai with 50000 MT Crude oil by BPCL has been received at Cochin Port to meet the fuel requirement in the state . Earlier, five containers of relief material comprising clothes, eatables, and other basic requirements were received at Cochin Port.

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Various port stakeholders have joined hands to provide help in the relief operations in the state. Trade bodies have offered special coastal shipping services between Cochin and ports at Hazira, Mundra, Kattupalli, Tuticorin, Pipavav, Kandla for carrying relief material from different parts of the country.

A relief camp for a group of affected people has been set up by Cochin Port at Sir Robert Bristow Memorial School, Willingdon Island & KV Port Trust School. About 50 people from different areas near Cochin have been accommodated in the camp. Doctors from Port Trust hospital are providing medical services. Volunteer teams comprising staff and family members of Cochin Port, Customs and CISF and medical team are assisting in the camp and extending necessary support.

The Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari hails the role of shipping fraternity in reaching out to the people in time of the calamity.

The employees from Cochin Port trust have decided to contribute their one day’s salary amounting to Rs. 31 lakh and an equal amount from Cochin Port Trust fund to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

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Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
21-August, 2018 17:41 IST
NSS volunteers taking part in large number in Kerala Flood Relief Measures

National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers in Kerala have taken up the relief and rescue operations on war-footing basis. About 1200 NSS units across the state are fully involved in the relief activities. The NSS volunteers are sanitising the affected area, preparing food packets for the flood victims, running common kitchen and distributing medicines. The Volunteers and other functionaries are distributing food packets to the affected people at various places and are also involved in rescue operations. They are collecting items of daily uses like Dry ration, clothes, soaps, sanitary napkins, medicines of regular use, Milk Powder, bleaching powders, Hand wash, sanitizers etc. Collection of money for the PM Relief Fund and CM Relief Fund of Kerala is also going on in all the NSS units. Volunteers from other states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat ,Karnataka and West Bengal are also participating actively in the relief measures.

NSS volunteers always take up relief and rescue operations on priority whenever a natural disaster occurs in any part of the country. These volunteers work tirelessly to mobilise relief materials and work for the smooth distribution of the collected materials in the affected area in close coordination with the District Administration.

NSS, the flagship programme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, is one of the major programmes for the student youth across the country. At present about 41 lakh volunteers are enrolled in this programme in 426 Universities covering about 32000 institutions. Volunteerism is the key component of the activities undertaken by these volunteers. While studying, these student volunteers undertake community development activities which help to build their personality as well as develop the belongingness towards the society. Whenever there is a need, the NSS volunteers are coming on their own to serve the nation. Be it the issue of environment enrichment, malnutrition, immunisation or the issue of natural disaster, these volunteers are becoming the saviours for the victims.

YB/TFK
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