A total of 241 lorries carrying over ₹17 crore-worth relief material collected from the public from across the State have been sent to Kerala for flood relief operations so far, Commissioner of Revenue Administration K. Satyagopal said here on Tuesday.
This apart, 200 cylinders of oxygen, two tankers of liquid oxygen and medicines worth ₹2 crore were also being sent to the neighbouring State, he said. Of the 500 tonnes of rice in total, 306 tonnes had already been sent, and Kerala had sought to hold on to the supplies for some time, Mr. Satyagopal, who is also the State Relief Commissioner, told mediapersons.
“Being in a geographically advanced position, Tamil Nadu has more bordering districts with Kerala, and hence, relief material from Tamil Nadu could reach the districts in Kerala, whereas aid from other States could reach only Thiruvananthapuram, by air, before they are dispatched elsewhere, he pointed out.
Two IAS officers – Santhosh Babu and Darez Ahamed, who have been appointed to coordinate in the transportation of relief material to Kerala, were in touch with officials in the flood-hit State, and had been monitoring the movement of vehicles with relief materials. “It was Mr. Ahamed (who is also a doctor) who came up with the idea of sending oxygen. We are helping Kerala significantly in terms of medical aid,” Mr. Satyagopal said.
“We are in touch with them, and based on the need for specific items, we source them here and send them to Kerala,” Mr. Ahamed said. So far, a total of 130 medical teams from Tamil Nadu have conducted 226 camps, benefiting 12,112 flood-affected people in Kerala.
Bed sheets, diapers, inner garments, dhotis, footwear, candles and matches are among the items in need in Kerala. “We have already sent a full load of matches from Sivakasi,” Mr. Satyagopal said, adding that medical help was also being extended along with the Indian Red Cross Society.
When asked about the relief measures taken in flood-hit districts in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Satyagopal said around 12,000 people had been shifted to 144 camps.