Rajnath visits flood-affected areas in Kerala, assures all possible assistance

New Delhi, Aug13: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, accompanied by Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons, Director General of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Sanjay Kumar and senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs, visited the flood and landslide-affected areas of Kerala on Sunday and assured the state government of all possible assistance.

He announced that the Central government has already released an assistance of Rs 80.25 crore as Second Installment of Central share under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

With a view to assist the state government, he also announced release of Rs 100 crore in advance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

Mr Singh carried out aerial survey of the affected areas of Adimali, Aluva and Paravur Taluk, as well as the Cheruthoni-Idukki dam.

He also surveyed the downstream areas and reviewed the search, rescue and relief measures taken by the state government and other Central government agencies with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Ministers of the state government, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and other senior officers of the Central Agencies and state administration.

The Central Ministers also visited relief camp and met the affected people living there.

Based on aerial survey, field visit and interaction with the affected people, the Home Minister expressed his satisfaction on the arrangements made by the state administration in managing the unprecedented floods and landslides in the state and in providing basic amenities, including food, water and medical service in the rescue and relief camps.

The Chief Minister thanked the Central Government for deploying 14 teams of NDRF and adequate resources of Defence Forces for search, rescue and assisting the administration in relief distribution. The Home Minister assured the state government to provide additional teams of NDRF and other assets of Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard, if any need was felt by the state government.

Mr Singh also said that based on the Memorandum received from the state government, an Inter-Ministerial Centre Team (IMCT) has already been deputed, which is currently visiting the affected areas in the state for assessment of losses and the Government of India will consider providing additional relief from NDRF, as per norms, on priority.

During the current South-West monsoon season, various parts of Kerala have been affected by heavy rains or rain-oriented calamities of varying degrees.

Fourteen teams of NDRF consisting of 404 rescuers and 31 boats are already deployed in the worst-affected districts, including Thrissur, Ernakkulam, Kozhikode, Idukki, Wayanad and Alapuzha to assist the state administration in the relief and rescue operation, as well as distribution of essential relief material and to provide medical support to affected people at the time of emergency.

'In addition to adequate number of column of Army, Navy and Coast Guard, helicopters of Indian Air Force, Navy & Coast Guard are also deployed in the state for assisting the state administration in lifting and dropping of essential commodities,' the Home Ministry said in its statement.