Kerala floods : Efforts on to restore essential services
Thiruvanthapuram/Kochi, Aug 21 (IBNS) : Even though the rain stopped and water receded in some areas, the flood-ravaged Kerala on Tuesday kept struggling to come back to normal as massive efforts were going on to restore essential services alongside the relief and rescue operations to cope with what the Centre has declared as a "calamity of severe nature."
According to reports, nearly a thousand people were still stranded in few villages near Alappuzha, one of the worst-hit areas while lack of drinking water and the possibility of outbreak of diseases were the concern of the hour. Efforts were underway to restore the supply of electricity in the areas where power went off.
However, commercial flight operations started from the navy airstrip in Kochi and trains started running between state capital Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam, 200 km away.
Apart from the first incoming aircraft this morning -- a 70-seater ATR plane of Alliance Air, a subsidiary of state-run carrier Air India -- more airlines are likely to arrive at Kochi, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said.
However, the main airport at Kochi will not be re-opened till August 26; it had to be shut down on August 15 after heavy rain flooded the facility, the seventh-busiest in the country.
The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association or ICPA has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that they are willing to fly to flood-hit Kerala without taking any payment.
officials said phone connectivity has been restored in 90 per cent of the state and there was no shortage of fuel.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said 223 people lost their lives between August 8 and 20. Six people died on Monday. "The Centre said they'll make all necessary items available to us," he said.
Vijayan told a press conference on Monday that more than 1.5 lakh marooned people had been rescued. Most of them have been put up in relief camps.
The health ministry has set up 3,700 medical camps across the state and put six specialized medical teams on standby.
According to reports, relief material from across the country has started arriving by ship to Cochin port. Fresh water is being ferried on two barges to the affected areas.
The Indian Army said in a tweet that its Bison led by Capt Aman Thakur has saved 2032 people in escue operations in Ernakulam District. Troops rescued a a total of 10, 629 civilians and restored connectivity to 49 locations, the tweet said.
"The army has engaged 10 floods relief columns, 8 Engineer Task Force and a total of 110 boats for Rescue & Relief round the clock, surmounting all challanges. We are at it."
Meanwhile, Union MinisterHarsimrat Badal spoke with the Kerala CM and assured him all assistance to the State from her Ministry.
In New Delhi, Badal met with food processing industry leaders on Monday.
Photos posted by the Navy show passengers queuing up in front of a makeshift airline counter at the INS Garuda naval base in Kochi. The Navy said it has done substantial work at INS Garuda to ensure the military facility is compatible with civilian air operations.
The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association or ICPA has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that they are willing to fly to flood-hit Kerala without taking any payment.
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