Death toll rises to twenty-nine after days of incessant rains in Kerala, officials said today. Of them, 25 died in landslides and four in drowning. State officials said that a total of 53,501 people are now housed in 439 relief camps across the state.
Five columns of Army were deployed in the state’s seven severely-hit northern districts, out of Kerala’s 14, to help evacuate people and to build makeshift bridges even as the Indian Navy’s southern command was put on alert after water level in Periyar river rose amid concern that parts of Wellingdon Island in Kochi could be inundated. Almost all 40-odd rivers in the state are in spate, officials said.
According to reports, all five gates of the Idukki Reservoir were opened on Friday as the heavy downpour continued unabated.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a survey of the flood-affected areas in Kerala on Sunday, Home Ministry spokesperson said.
‘Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the prevailing flood situation in the state. I have assured all possible assistance from the Centre to the state government. The relief and rescue ops are going on. MHA is closely monitoring the flood situation,’ Singh tweeted.
Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinrayi Vijayan and discussed the prevailing flood situation in the state. I have assured all possible assistance from the Centre to the state government. The relief and rescue ops are going on. MHA is closely monitoring the flood situation.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 10, 2018
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Friday morning, reviewed the flood situation and relief works being undertaken by the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the NDRF.
CM Vijayan appealed to people to stay vigilant, ‘ it is essential to release water three times (more) than what was being released now’, Vijayan said.
All the Public functions have been cancelled till 12 August and the state government has advised tourists not to proceed to Idukki due to heavy rains.