More funds poured in for Kerala, which is battling the worst floods crisis its had in a century, as the Prime Minister conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas and announced a Rs 500 crore aid from the Center.
At least 23 more deaths were reported across rain-devastated Kerala on Saturday with 15 bodies of the victims seen floating on flood waters even as rescue and relief operations continued across the state on a war-footing.
But with power supply and communication links snapped, shortage of food, potable water and medicines and scores of people awaiting evacuation from affected areas, the government has an uphill task ahead.
Prime minister Narendra Modi, who had reached the state on Friday night, announced an interim relief of Rs 500 crore for Kerala after holding a high-level meeting with state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other officials on Saturday. He also announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000.
The state government however sought emergency relief of Rs 2,500 crore from the Centre, saying Kerala has suffered losses of Rs 25,000 crores.
After the meeting, the prime minister conducted an aerial survey of the flooded area, primarily covering Kochi and Idukki. Earlier he had to call off the survey as his chopper was called back minutes after it took off amid heavy rains in Kochi .
Torrential rains have battered God’s own country since August 8, leaving over 200 people dead in the last 10 days in landslides and floods in what is the worst natural disaster to hit the state in a century. Out of the total casualties, 150 are said to have lost their lives in the last two days.
The weather department on Saturday held out hopes of respite, holding the intensity of rains has decreased and the situation will improve from Tuesday.
meWith roads cut off and public transport virtually non-existent, there are now fears of starvation. “If help won’t reach people will die of starvation,” said Chenganur MLA Saji Cherian.
An estimated four lakh people are now in relief camps, official said.
A massive relief and rescue operation involving the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, NDRF and volunteers continues to be underway. IAF rescue teams are also providing relief materials to stranded people.
However, despite their best efforts, marooned people complained that they had to survive without food or potable water for many days. “The magnitude of the disaster is really great. We are finding it difficult to manage such a volume of affected people,” a relief official said in Kochi on Friday.
More aid poured in from around India, with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announcing all MLAs and MPs of his Aam Aadmi Party would donate a month’s salary, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik announcing Rs 5 crore, and his Bihar and Haryana counterparts Nitish Kumar and Manohar Lal Khattar, Rs 10 crores each. Medicines worth Rs 1 crore were sent from Tamil Nadu.
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