THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister
Pinarayi Vijayan said the flood situation in the state continues to be in danger and there is no respite from water overflowing from the rivers like Pampa, Periyar and Chalakudy. Four districts - Allappuzha, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur -have been worst affected with this.
Kerala floods live: Rescue and relief operations in full swing
From August 8 to till date ,164 deaths have been reported in the state. At present, 1568 relief camps have been set up in the state in which 2,23,000 people are l. There is urgent need for food packets and the Centre has provided one lakh food packets which have been distributed.
Pinarayi Vijayan said the necessary instructions have been given to the district administration in Pathanmathitta to evacuate all the people who remain isolated in the most dangerous areas. He said there are still people who are isolated in certain areas. It has become difficult for the boats to reach there and hence it has been planned to airlift them using the helicopters.
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From 6am today, the helicopters are in operation for rescuing the people who are stranded in the terrace and second floors of their buildings. 14 Army teams are currently operating in the state. In addition to this, 13 teams of Navy in Thrissur, 10 teams in Wayand, four teams in Chengannur, 12 teams in Alwaye and three teams in Pathanamthitta are doing the rescue operations.
The coast guard has sent 28 teams who are been deployed in various centres. They have also sent two helicopters. The Navy has also provided us three helicopters. The NDRF has sent 39 teams so far and in addition to this now, we have sought 16 more teams of NDRF from the Centre, said the chief minister.
He said Idukki and Wayand are totally isolated and hence efforts are on to restore the communication links with these two districts. The rain has come down in these two districts and hence we are hopeful that we could restore the road connectivity to these districts soon.
The chief minister said the entire machinery of the state and Centre are involved in the rescue operations and there was no need for panic for anyone. The help will be reaching to each and everyone. Hence people should remain calm and listen to the instructions from the rescue team, he added.
From 6 am today, the helicopters are in operation for rescuing the people who are stranded in the terrace and ... Read More
