Toll 239; Kerala faces long road to recovery
CM says over 700K in camps, Kochi flights to start today
KOCHI/NEW DELHI: Rescuers struggled to reach some pockets still cut off by landslides and raging rivers in Kerala, and the government turned its focus to counting losses and launching a rehabilitation drive that could last months, officials said on Sunday as forecasts suggested the worst of the rains may be over for Kerala.
Since August 8 — the start of an unusually heavy bout of monsoon rains that led to what has been described as Kerala’s worst flooding in nearly a century — some 239 people have died and more than 700,000 people were taken to relief camps, according to figures released by the state government on Sunday.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said much of the rescue operation was likely to be completed by end of Sunday, but “it will continue till the last person is rescued.” The CM added that there were 13 new deaths and some 22,000 people rescued since morning.
At Chengannur in Alappuzha district, at least 5,000 are stranded, according to revenue officials quoted by PTI.
“The waters have not fully receded; there is moderate rain in some parts. Rescue work will continue till things go back to normal,” the CM said at a press conference.
In New Delhi, the National Crisis Management Committee met for the fourth time in as many days.
KODAGU: A total of 4,225 marooned people have been rescued so far in Karnataka’s floodhit Kodagu district even as incessant rains continued to hamper relief work.
“Though the intensity of rainfall has reduced, the rainfall remained unabated. As of 3 p.m., 4,225 people in Kodagu district have been rescued and brought to safety through joint operations by state and central agencies,” a statement from the state disaster management authority said. Of the rescued, 3,601 are staying in 36 relief shelters in the district.
The unabated rains, leading to flooding and landslips, have claimed eight lives so far in the region, the statement added.
The authorities, however, did not reveal the number of people stranded across the hilly district as communication lines were snapped due to landslides and damage to networks.
Several hundreds are suspected to be stranded in the district’s towns and villages on hilltops, which have been cut off due to landslides and damaged roads.
Located about 270 km from Bengaluru, the district is the worst-hit due to the south-west monsoon rains since June. About 123 km of roads are estimated to be damaged while more than 800 homes have been destroyed due to the rains.
The heavy rains in coastal district of Dakshina Kannada have claimed one life, forcing nearly 800 people to live in temporary shelters, the statement added.
Over 60 people have been stranded in Mukkodlu village of Kodagu district, but airlifting them has not been possible due to the bad weather, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy earlier said.
About 50 Dogra Regiment soldiers, 62 officials from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 750 fire services officials and home guards with boats have been carrying out relief work in the district.