Kerala floods kill 33 more, Centre grants ₹500 crore
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thirtythree more people died on Saturday in floods triggered by 10 days of torrential rainfall in Kerala, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried out an aerial survey of the devastation left by one of the worst natural calamities to hit the state and announced ~500 crore in aid, a fourth of the amount sought by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
As the first signs emerged of the rains letting up, relief and rescue teams deployed by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as well as the three armed forces were still engaged in a massive operation — distributing food and other essentials and rescuing the marooned — across Kerala. Even so, the magnitude of the disaster is such that relief supplies couldn’t reach everyone, and many complained of going without food or potable water for days together.
One relief official in Kochi said: “The magnitude of the disaster is really great. We are finding it difficult to manage...”
Saturday’s deaths took the toll to at least 226 since flooding began on August 18 when rain intensified. Revenue officials said at least 20,000 houses had been destroyed and 15,000 partially damaged by the swirling floodwaters and relentless rain, as the state stared at the possibility of epidemic outbreaks when the water that has inundated half the state starts receding .
On Saturday, the fury of the weather showed signs of abating, prompting the authorities to lift the read alert in all but three of Kerala’s 14 districts.
“After August 19 intensity of the rain will decrease. Now red alert will remain only in three districts, Idukki, Ernakual and Pathannamthitta,” said Thiruvananthapuram’s regional met office director K Santhosh.
BODIES FOUND FLOATING IN FLOODWATERS, ROADS CUT OFF, SCARCITY OF FOOD AND MEDICINES LOOMS
NEW DELHI: Several Gulf states with sizeable populations of Malayali expatriate workers have stepped in to help people affected by the floods in Kerala, with the ruler of Dubai even tweeting messages of support in Malayalam.
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan ordered the formation of a national emergency committee to provide aid, that includes members of humanitarian organisations and will be chaired by the Emirates Red Crescent.
The UAE leaders stressed the “importance of mobilising national efforts of all UAE humanitarian actors” for emergency relief operations “in a way that reflects the spirit of the historic friendship that binds the people of the UAE and India”, Khaleej Times reported.
In identical messages on social media, UAE vice-president Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the ruler of Dubai, and his wife Haya Bint Al Hussein said the people of Kerala “have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE”.
Sheikh Mohammed, who tweeted in English and Arabic besides Malayalam along with photos of rescue operations in flood-hit areas, noted the widespread devastation in Kerala and said: “Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India. We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously...”
The Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation also launched an emergency relief campaign to assist flood victims.
Several media reports stated the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, had directed the country’s air force to transport water, food and other materials from Muscat to Thiruvananthapuram.
Expatriates from Kerala have also been collecting relief materials and mobilising volunteers. Azad Moopen, chairman of Dubai-based Aster DM Healthcare, has mobilised more than 200 volunteers to help the victims.