Kerala: 1,155 shelter camps operational, IMD predicts relief from rain after Sunday

Mangalore Today News Network

Kerala, Aug 17, 2018 : Kerala continues to remain on high alert mode with devastating floods inundating hundreds of homes and sending thousands to nearby relief camps. The state government machinery is working in close coordination with military and central rescue teams to identify sensitive areas in which families may be stuck in their homes. While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been closely monitoring the situation from state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive in the state Friday night after attending the last rites of late former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He will visit the flood-affected areas on Saturday.

Most-affected areas in Kerala

The districts which are said to be extremely affected by the floods are Pathanamthitta, areas near the Periyar river in Ernakulam, Idukki (completely cut-off from rest of the state), high-range areas in Kozhikode and Kannur, Thrissur, Wayanad and low-lying areas near water bodies in Palakkad and Thrissur districts.

In Pathanamthitta, Army, Air Force and Navy diving teams are prepared to reach out to areas like Ranni, Kozhenchery, Seethathodu, Pamba, Achankovil and Konni which are reporting a lot of people stranded in their homes. In some areas, the water level from nearby rivers and streams are said to have almost reached the first floors of homes. In high-range areas like Kokkathode, Meenkuzhy and Kappakkad, landslips are reported as well.

In Ernakulam district, the gradual rise of the water level in Periyar due to the opening of the shutters of Mullaperiyar dam, Idamalayar dam and Idukki dam has flooded areas like Eloor, Companypady, Pulinchodu, Kalamassery, Kalady, Kanjoor and Choornikkara. Traffic on National Highway 544 linking Ernakulam to Salem in Tamil Nadu was disrupted at Companypady due to the flood waters seeping onto the highway. Power supply and mobile signals were disrupted in several areas in Kochi city. Locals and rescue teams are using boats and rafts to rescue people from their inundated homes. The Cochin International Airport has suspended services till August 26 in view of the flooding of the runway. Kochi Metro services were suspended briefly in the morning on Thursday before resuming in the evening.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of deceased and Rs 10 lakh to those who lost their property in the floods. The district of Idukki, which has received the most rainfall in the state this monsoon, is said to be completely cut-off due to major roads prone to a landslip.

In Alappuzha district, areas like Chengannur and Kuttanad are completely flooded with distress calls repeatedly flowing into the control rooms every hour. Traffic on the central MC Road has come to a close. The power supply was disrupted in several areas.

In Palakkad, the opening of the Malampuzha dam shutters has flooded areas near rivers and canals. Traffic was stopped several times in the Kuthiran hills on Thursday. The Kuthiran tunnel has also reportedly been closed to vehicular traffic.

Both in hilly areas of Kozhikode and Kannur districts, landslides have been reported. Rescue teams and local panchayats are in the process of evacuating more people in landslip-prone areas to safer relief camps.

Malappuram and Thrissur districts have reported a lot of casualties primarily due to entire houses being submerged under landslides. The situation is particularly very serious in these areas.

The district of Idukki, which has received the most rainfall in the state this monsoon, is said to be completely cut-off due to major roads prone to landslip. The town of Cheruthoni, closest to the Idukki reservoir, is flooded with people abandoning their homes to move to higher areas. Areas like Maniyarankudi, Kirithodu, Chelachuvad and Lower Periyar are reporting landslides.
The rainfall is largely set to subside post Sunday which will aid rescue and relief operations.

What Met Department is predicting

In its bulletin on Friday, the IMD predicted ‘heavy to very heavy rainfall at most places’ in Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Wayanad districts. But in what is likely to be a huge relief for the state, according to current predictions, the rainfall is largely set to subside post Sunday which will aid rescue and relief operations.

Heavy traffic on helpline numbers

Specific mobile and landline helpline numbers have been issued for each of the flood-affected districts, but the common complaint has been that those numbers are engaged or busy. There has been tremendous traffic on these phone numbers as officials are fighting hard to relay these messages to the military and rescue teams who might be in sensitive areas. the district administrations are working overtime, literally on tenterhooks, to receive the flood of distress calls.
In the last nine days, 94 people have been killed, 41 hospitalised and 11 missing.

Relief camps and casualties in Kerala

According to official government data till Thursday night, a total of 1155 shelter camps are operating in the state. This number is increasing every hour as more and more people are brought from their flooded homes. At a camp in Kanjoor in Ernakulam district, 1200 people were there on Wednesday afternoon, but today, an official said it is currently housing over 2000 people. He said choppers, speed boats and normal boats are the need of the hour to rescue those from stranded areas.

In the last nine days, 94 people have been killed, 41 hospitalised and 11 missing. Malappuram accounts for 25 of the casualties followed by Idukki with 16 deaths. Entire families have been washed away in landslides.

The chief minister has time and again requested for monetary help through the chief minister’s disaster relief fund. Film bodies like AMMA and actors like Mohanlal, Surya, Siddharth, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have contributed to the relief fund. Film actors like Tovino Thomas has even given up his home in Irinjalakuda in Thrissur for those who need shelter.


courtesy: IE