People travel in a truck to a safer place as flood waters ravaged the National Highway 47 in Ernakulam district of Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala, on August 17, 2018. AFP
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here last night to see for himself the rain-battered Kerala and also survey the relief and rescue operations.
Torrential rains, overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have resulted in the death of 174 people, leaving over three lakh people in over 2,000 relief camps.
The Prime Minister was received by Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet colleagues among others.
He will spend the night at the Kerala Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor.
Today, Modi along with Vijayan will make an aerial survey of the worst affected districts. Before returning to Delhi from Kochi, the Prime Minister will chair a meeting to discuss the grave situation in the state.
“Later this evening, I will be heading to Kerala to take stock of the unfortunate situation due to flooding,” Modi tweeted. Modi was expected to land in Thiruvananthapuram by 9pm and will be staying at the Raj Bhavan.
In a Twitter statement released by Vijayan’s office, he said there had been “324 lives lost”, a tripling of the death toll in the last 24 hours.
Vijayan added that 223,139 people have been moved to more than 1,500 relief camps. The red alert in Kasargode and Thiruvananthapuram districts was withdrawn yesterday, it said.
The intensity of rains, although has decreased in several districts since yesterday morning, flood waters from big dams in Idukki district continued to be let out.
Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha yesterday chaired a meeting with the Chief Secretaries of Kerala and Tamil Nadu through video conference. Sinha directed various agencies, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to provide the required assistance to Kerala.
He also ordered these organisations to provide boats, helicopters, life jackets, life buoys, raincoats, gumboots, inflatable tower lights among other things.
The Centre has so far mobilised deployment of 339 motorised boats, 2,800 life jackets, 1,400 life buoys, 27 light towers and 1,000 raincoats, said a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Over 100,000 food packets have been distributed and arrangements are being made to supply another 100,000 food packets, it said. The Railways has provided 120,000 water bottles and will despatch additional 120,000 bottles, it added.
It is also running a special train carrying 2.9 lakh litres of drinking water that will reach Kayakulam today, the ministry said. In the past 48 hours, the Navy flew 16 sorties in rescue operations, the Ministry said.
The Coast Guard, according to the Ministry, has deployed 30 boats along with rescue teams, 300 life jackets, seven life rafts and 144 life buoys.
Airlifted pregnant woman gives birth
A pregnant woman stranded in one of the worst flood-hit areas of Kerala had developed complications with a ruptured amniotic sac. The two lives remained in danger till help came out of the blue - literally.
Sajita Jabil, 25, was stuck on the rooftop of her house in Aluva when she heard the rattling of chopper blades. It was an Indian Navy chopper that had flown especially to rescue and end her nightmare. A doctor was first lowered from the chopper to examine her condition before she was airlifted and taken to Sanjivani multi-specialty hospital in Alappuzha district.
“A pregnant lady with water bag leaking (was) airlifted and evacuated to Sanjivani. Operation successful,” Indian Navy spokesperson Captain D K Sharma tweeted.Almost half an hour later, the woman delivered a baby boy.
