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Prime Minister Narendra Modi grants Rs 500 crore flood relief to Kerala

NDRF’s biggest rescue op as 380 dead; fresh alert for 14 districts

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Volunteers and rescue personnel evacuate residents, in Kerala’s Ernakulam district on Saturday.
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After conducting an aerial survey of flood-hit Kerala, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday immediately announced flood relief of Rs 500 crore for the state. Heavy rains have lashed Kerala for nearly nine days and over 380 people have died so far. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps.

A new red alert was issued on Saturday for all the 14 districts in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

There are growing fears that the number of deaths could escalate rapidly with countless people still marooned, desperate for food, drinking water and medicines.

"In Kerala, I took stock of the situation arising in the wake of the devastating floods across the state. Joined a review meeting and undertook an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by flooding. The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour," PM Modi tweeted.

In another tweet, the Prime Minister thanked UAE for offering to help the flood-ravaged state.

Vijayan on Saturday said that attempts are being made on a war-footing to rescue those stranded at Chengannur in Pathanamthitta.

Other worst hit areas include Chalakudy in Thrissur and various parts of Ernakulam district.

PM Modi, along with Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister K J Alphons conducted an aerial survey of the areas affected by flood.

On PM Modi's instructions, 67 helicopters, 24 aircraft, 548 motorboats and thousands of rescue personnel from Indian Navy, Army, Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Coast Guard and Central Armed Police Forces, were pressed into service to rescue and evacuate people from submerged areas to relief camps. The PM also announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured from the PM's National Relief Funds. He also directed insurance companies to hold special camps for assessment and timely release of compensation to the affected families and beneficiaries under social security schemes. The directions have also been issued for early clearance of claims under Fasal Bima Yojna to agriculturists. PM Modi also directed National Highways Authority of India to repair main national highways damaged due to floods on priority.

"Villagers, whose kutcha houses have been destroyed in the devastating floods, would be provided Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin houses on priority irrespective of their priority in the Permanent Wait List of PMAY-G," the Prime Minister Office said in a statement.

Also more than 6,900 life jackets, 3,000 life buoys, 167 inflatable tower lights, 2,100 raincoats, 1,300 gumboots and 153 chain saws have been provided to state government.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the railways would provide free transportation of relief material to the worst-hit areas in Kerala. The railways has already delivered around 2.8 lakh litre of drinking water to Kerala.

So far, various Central Ministries have made available food, water and medicines which include 3,00,000 food packets, 6,00,000 million tonnes of milk, 14,00,000 litres of drinking water, 150 potable water purification kits with capacity of 1,00,000 litre each. Railways informed that trains have been running to Thiruvananthapuram via Erode and Madurai. It offered to run a special food and medicine train from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam to distribute food and medicines to all the stations on the way.

It has been decided to make the Naval airstrip at Kochi functional for commercial flights by August 20.

With a view to improve telephone connectivity, the Department of Telecom has enabled intra-circle roaming which will enable subscribers of one service provider to access mobile towers of other service providers. Mobile towers called 'Cellular on Wheels' are also being deployed to ensure that no block remains unconnected.

In its biggest-ever relief and rescue operation, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has so far evacuated over 10,000 people from the marooned areas of Kerala. A total of 58 teams of the force have been deputed to work in Kerala out of which 55 are working on ground.

Rescue and Relief

Teams From NDRF, Army, Navy, IAF, Coast Guard; 5 cos. of BSF, CISF, RAF pressed into service

Rescue gear: 67 helicopters, 24 aircraft, 548 motorboats, thousands of personnel

Rs 19.5K cr Worst floods in a century have set the state, a tourist hotspot, back by thousands of crores

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