130 stranded Odias rescued for prompt action

BHUBANESWAR:  In a prompt response to Odisha Government’s request, Kerala Government on Friday rescued some Odia people, who were stranded in a place surrounded by flood water, and shifted them to a safe place. After getting an SoS from one of stranded people, Anil Sethi, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) and Disaster Management Secretary Bishnupada Sethi on Friday morning wrote to Kerala Additional Chief Secretary for Disaster Management seeking urgent steps to rescue the Odias in distress in that place. Anil had informed the Odisha Government that due to severe flooding, about 130 Odia people had taken shelter in a house at Aluva Munnar Road, Odapally, near Asha Munnar post office and were not able to have access to minimum needs like food and drinking water.

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“I would request you to kindly make necessary arrangement for providing support in terms of food, drinking water and other necessities to the above mentioned flood affected people,” the SRC wrote to the Kerala Government. Though reeling under massive flood, which has already taken the lives of over 324 people, the Kerala Government immediately came to the rescue of the stranded people. Speaking to Express over phone, Anil expressed his gratitude to both Odisha and Kerala governments for the help. “We were rescued by a team and taken to a transit camp where thousands of people from West Bengal and Assam are taking shelter,” he said.

Following the reports of people from Odisha being trapped at different places in the flood-ravaged southern State, the Odisha Government has opened a helpline with telephone numbers 1070 (toll free) and 0674-2534177 in the SRC office to coordinate the rescue and relief operations. “Any person from Odisha affected by flood in Kerala or his relative may contact on the helpline numbers for help,” the Revenue and Disaster Management department notification stated. Expressing concern over the alarming situation, the Odisha Government on Thursday announced a financial assistance of ` five crore for the State. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also spoke to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan over telephone to enquire about the situation and assured necessary support to tackle the calamity.