Kerala Floods: State Government Seeks Rs 2,600-Crore Special Package From Centre

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said he has spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other key ministers from the central government, as the death toll in the state, reeling with one of the worst floods, crossed over 70.

“I had a telephonic conversation with PM, Home Minister and Defence Minister, they have offered support. More helicopters will be deployed soon,” ANI tweeted citing Vijayan’s comments at a press briefing today.

The death toll due to rains over the last one week in the state has risen to 73, according to ANI.

Earlier in the day, in an interview to ANI, Union Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons said that the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Disaster Response Force are conducting rescue and relief operations.

All shutters across major dams in the state, including Mullaperiyar, Cheruthoni, part of Idukki reservoir, and Idamalayar, have been opened due to rising water levels. Over 1.5 lakh people have been lodged in relief camps across the state, PTI reported on Aug.15.

The Kochi International Airport yesterday suspended all flight operations till Saturday as the entire area around the airport was flooded following unabated rains and the opening of dam shutters in the Periyar river, prompting authorities to divert all incoming and outgoing flights to Thiruvananthapuram or Kozhikode. Train services have been disrupted and road transport services are in disarray with stretches of roads coming under water, news agency PTI reported.

The Aviation Ministry has decided to set up a control room at the DGCA Headquarters, New Delhi to address issues due to suspension of flight operations to/from Cochin airport, Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted.

Central and Northern parts of Kerala are likely to receive heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours, AK Srivastava, Head of Climate Monitoring and Analysis, IMD told BloombergQuint in an interview.

Key highlights from the conversation:

• Heavy rainfall is likely to continue for at least the next 48 hours in various parts
• Intensity may decrease after 48 hours
• Had anticipated normal or slightly above normal rains
• Expecting heavy rainfall in Central and Northern parts of Kerala

Twelve fresh teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been rushed by the Centre to rain-battered Kerala, news agency PTI reported. Six teams each are being airlifted from Delhi and Gandhinagar (Gujarat) and they will be dropped at Thiruvananthapuram today, a force spokesperson told PTI.

The Supreme Court today termed as "grave" the flood situation in Kerala and agreed to hear a plea seeking Centre's mediation between Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments on the issue of the Mullaperiyar Dam crossing the 142-feet threshold. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Indu Malhotra considered the submission of a lawyer and agreed to hear the plea today itself, news agency PTI reported.

The plea seeks a decision on disaster management steps in the background of the floods, opening of 33 dams in Kerala, confusion between Kerala and Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers as water in the Mullaperiyar Dam has crossed the 142-feet threshold, PTI added.

The Kochi international airport will remain closed for operation till Aug. 26 morning in the wake of torrential rains, the Civil Aviation Ministry said.

It said airlines who were found to have spiked airfares operating to an out of Trivendrum and Calicut, have been "advised" to "cap" the ticket rates.

Kochi airport has been hit by incessant rains which have wreaked havoc in Kerala. According to an earlier announcement, operations at the airport had been suspended up to the afternoon of Aug. 16.

In a communication this evening, the Ministry said, "Cochin airport is closed for operations up to 8.30 a.m. of Aug. 26".

It said airfares on 18 domestic routes -- 10 direct flights to and from Trivendrum and eight direct flights from Calicut are being monitored.

(Source: PTI)

Torrential rain and floods played havoc in Kerala, claiming 30 lives yesterday, swamping homes, destroying roads, and disrupting air and rail traffic in many places, officials said.

Altogether 97 people have died in rain-related incidents since the second spell of monsoon fury got unleashed on Aug. 8. The murderous weather has claimed 55 lives in the previous two days alone.

Battling savage weather conditions, the Indian Navy began airlifting marooned people in Trichur, Aluva and Muvattupuzha. Dramatic videos showed people stranded atop flooded homes and hills being winched up by navy choppers.

Under instructions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Defence Ministry rushed in fresh teams of the three wings of military for relief and rescue operations in the state where over 1.5 lakh homeless and displaced people are taking shelter in relief camps.

All but one of the state's 14 districts are on high alert, sources said.

(Source: PTI)

The Tamil Nadu government turned down a plea by flood-hit Kerala for reducing the water level in the Mullaperiyar Dam to 139 feet over safety concerns in view of heavy inflows, saying the century-old reservoir was 'safe' enough to store water up to 142 feet.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami stated this in a letter, responding to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan's communication to him on Tuesday.

Incidentally, the letter came on a day when the Supreme Court directed the Disaster Management sub-committee of Mullaperiyar Dam to consider reducing water level up to 139 feet from the present 142 feet, considering the "grave" flood situation in all the 14 districts of Kerala.

However, the letter was apparently written before the directive of the apex court which this afternoon took up for hearing a plea seeking a decision on disaster management steps in the background of the floods in Kerala.

"An effort has to be made to bring down the water level of the Mullaperiyar dam to 139 feet so that the people living downstream should not live in constant fear," a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Indu Malhotra said.

In his letter, a copy of which was released to media, Palaniswami said the state Water Resources Department was maintaining the releases from the dam, owned and operated by Tamil Nadu, and there was no threat to its safety.

Water released from Mullaperiyar reaches Idukki reservoir, which is presently full.

(Source: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kerala and undertake an aerial survey of the flood ravaged areas on Saturday, Union Minister KJ Alphons said on Wednesday.

Modi is expected to reach Kochi today after attending the funeral of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he told reporters.

The funeral of the former prime minister, who passed away yesterday, has been scheduled for 4 p.m. today in Delhi.

After an overnight stay at Kochi, the Prime Minister will undertake an aerial survey of the flood affected areas on Saturday, Alphons said.

Modi has already been in touch with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and had assured all assistance.

The prime minister has taken a "positive stand" towards the state on relief measures, Vijayan had said yesterday after he spoke to him for the second time in the past few days.

Kerala has been ravaged by unprecedented floods following torrential rains that also triggered landslides, claiming 97 lives since Aug. 8 besides disrupting air, rail and road traffic in several places.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Aug. 12 undertook an aerial survey of the flood-hit regions and announced an immediate central assistance of Rs 100 crore to the state for relief works.

(Source: PTI)

Red alert has been issued in 13 of the 14 districts in Kerala, with Kasargod being the only exception, according to news agency ANI. Ernakulam and Idukki districts will continue to be under the red alert warning on Saturday too.

A red alert had been issued in all the 14 districts of the state on Thursday.

The Indian Meteorological Department predicted widespread downpour in Kerala at least through Monday, after the state has already received 37 percent more showers than normal this year, a Bloomberg report said.

This is the state’s second-worst flood after 1924, according to an update on the website of the Kerala chief minister’s distress relief fund.

As many as 23 bridges have collapsed, more than 211 landslides have been reported and about 10,000 kilometers (6,213 miles) of roads have been destroyed. Over 20,000 houses have been damaged, 180,000 farmers are affected and total damages are estimated at about Rs 8,320 crore ($1.2 billion), according to the website.

United Arab Emirates is working on forming a committee to help flood-hit areas of Kerala, ANI tweeted in the morning.

President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has instructed officials to form a “national emergency committee” to provide assistance, ANI added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kochi today to take stock of the situation across Kerala. He’s slated to take an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas to decide on the future course of action, according to media reports.

Currently, Modi is chairing a high-level meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister KJ Alphons, and other officials, according to his official twitter handle.

According to media reports, the prime minister’s aerial survey might get cancelled due to bad weather. However, ANI tweeted that no decision on the survey has been taken yet.

Narendra Modi conducts an aerial survey of the affected areas across the state, reported ANI.

The prime minister also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured. The funds will be deployed from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Funds, ANI added.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, governor P. Sathasivam and union tourism minister KJ Alphons accompanied Modi during the aerial survey.

The prime minister, having surveyed the state announced immediate aid of Rs 500 crore for Kerala, ANI reported.

The aid is in addition to Rs 100 crore assistance announced earlier.

The IMD has said the intensity of rainfall is set to reduce in Kerala over the next two to three days. Meanwhile, the agency also withdrew red alert - barring three districts - Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Eranakulam, which were warned of an orange alert.

33 people died in the state today, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told mediapersons. The flood toll now stands at 370.

The India Meteorological Department has said that the rainfall intensity in the state will reduce in the next two to three days, news agency PTI reported. Kerala is not expected to receive heavy rainfall from Aug. 20, Mritunjay Mohapatra, IMD Additional Director General told PTI.

Red alert has been issued for today in 11 districts. Heavy rainfall is predicted for the day in all districts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasaragod, Kerala Chief Minister's Office tweeted.

Relief materials being loaded on board Naval Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Chetak helicopter & Naval Sea King helicopter at Naval Air Station INS Garuda in Kochi.

The Telangana government on Saturday dispatched 100 tonnes of nutritious food for children in flood-hit Kerala.

The food manufactured by Telangana Foods, a state government enterprise, was airlifted to Kerala on Saturday. According to officials, the food known as 'Balamrutham' is worth Rs 52.5 lakh.

The food was airlifted by two Defence aircraft (C17 Globemaster) from Begumpet Airport.

The food is expected to provide supplementary nutrition to about 50,000 children for 10 days, officials said.

At 10 am today, the water level in the Idukki reservoir was 2402.28 ft; water flow into Periyar river is 913 cusecs per hour. Two shutters have been closed.

The India Meteorological Department, has withdrawn red alert from all 14 districts of Kerala. It has predicted moderate rains in isolated areas of Kerala over the next 24 hours. This is the first time since August 9 when red alert has been withdrawn from the entire state.

Death toll in the Kerala floods rose to 370. While over 20,000 people were evacuated today, 13 people died today, said Pinarayi Vijayan, chief minister of Kerala while addressing the media. There are currently over 1545 relief camps sheltering over 7.24 lakh people, he said.

The water levels is expected to recede in the next two days and major rescue operations are expected to be completed by today, he added.

The first commercial airplane landed in Kochi’s Naval Air Station today morning after two weeks. Operations at the main Cochin International Airport, however, remain suspended.

While monsoons in Kerala are not over yet, the heavy rainfall seen over the last few weeks will reduce, said AK Srivastava, head of climate monitoring and analysis at the Indian Meteorological Department.

Most parts of India have received normal rainfall, expect the North-Eastern states, he added.

The worst floods since 1924 have caused damage worth $2.8 billion, according to a tweet from Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Flights to the state’s commercial capital of Kochi are expected to start today and train services are likely to be restored as waters begin to recede.

The threat of disease outbreaks is now a primary concern, with carcasses in flood waters raising fears of health risks to the state’s nearly 34 million population. India’s health ministry will today airlift 60 tonnes of emergency medicines and has put six specialized medical teams on standby, the home ministry statement said.

(Source: Bloomberg)

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The flood in Kerala has been declared a calamity of severe nature, the Home Ministry said today, news agency PTI reported. "Keeping in view the intensity and magnitude of the floods and landslides in Kerala, this is a calamity of a severe nature for all practical purposes," the news agency reported quoting a home ministry official.

State-owned general insurance companies that they are fully geared up to settle claims in flood-ravaged Kerala.

National Insurance, New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance have systems in place and are fully geared to receive claim intimations and ensure smooth and expeditious settlements, the four state-owned firms said a joint statement yesterday.

With wide repository of underwriting and claims management resources, they have simplified claim procedures for large scale losses during natural catastrophes, the statement said.

(Source: PTI)

The central government is exempting basic customs duty and Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) for the goods imported or supplied for flood relief operations in Kerala, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said yesterday.

A notification to this effect is likely to be issued today, according to sources.

"India stands with Kerala in this hour of need. Central Government is exempting basic customs duty and IGST for the consignments of aid and relief materials being despatched or imported from abroad for the affected people," Goyal said in a tweet.

• The notification will be later placed in the next meeting of the GST Council, sources said.
• The tax exemptions will be valid till December 31, 2018.
• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to the Union Finance Minister requesting for an exemption for consignments being despatched or imported from abroad for relief works in the state.

(Source: PTI)

The Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy yesterday started scaling down 'Operation Madad' consequent to rains having reduced and floodwaters receding from many areas in Kerala, a defence press release said.

• As of 4:30 p.m. yesterday, 41 teams returned after their rescue missions leaving 51 diving teams in the state.
• A total of 350 people was rescued by boats yesterday morning.
• No requests for airlifts were received yesterday.

(Source: PTI)

About six lakh people have been displaced due to the floods in Kerala. Relief measures are being undertaken on a war-footing in over 3,000 relief camps set up across the state.

Here’s a ground report on the relief measures.

Kerala has sought a Rs 2,600-crore special package from the Centre even as the state struggles to find its feet after the devastating deluge that left 223 dead in a fortnight and forced over 10 lakh people out of their homes, reports news agency PTI.

The central government is unlikely to accept any foreign financial assistance for flood relief operations in Kerala, official sources told PTI.

They said the government has taken a considered decision to rely solely on domestic efforts to tide over the situation.

The United Arab Emirates has offered $100 million (around Rs 700 crore) as financial assistance for flood relief operation in Kerala. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, called up Prime Minister Modi and made the offer for assistance, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in Thiruvananthapuram.

Around three million Indians live and work in the UAE out of which 80 percent are from Kerala.

The government of Maldives has also decided to donate $50,000 (Rs 35 lakh) for flood-affected people in Kerala.

The United Nations is also offering some assistance for Kerala.

(Source: PTI)

Flight operations from the flood-hit international airport in Cochin, which was rendered non functional for over a week, will resume from Aug. 29 instead of Aug. 26 as announced earlier. The decision to extend the date was taken at a meeting at Cochin International Airport Limited, where most stakeholders, including airlines and ground handling agencies, expressed concern over mobilising manpower by that date, a CIAL spokesperson said.

(Source: PTI)

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac criticized the Narendra Modi-led central government for refusing to accept aid from foreign countries. In a series of tweets, Isaac said that the centre should consider compensating the state for refusing aid offered by United Arab Emirates.

The UAE had offered $100 million (around Rs 700 crore) as financial assistance for flood relief operation in Kerala while the government of Maldives had decided to donate $50,000 (Rs 35 lakh) for flood-affected people in Kerala, news agency PTI had reported on Wednesday.

Also Read: Central Aid To Flood-Hit Kerala Just Enough To Buy One Rafale Jet

Union Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons said that the Centre is ready to provide more funds to the state. The centre has already allotted Rs 760 crore for immediate rescue and relief activities, stressing that it will provide more funds after assessing the total damage, KJ Alphons told BloombergQuint.

The Supreme Court today ordered that the water level at the Mullaperiyar dam be maintained at 139 feet till Aug. 31 keeping in mind the grave devastation that has taken place due to the unprecedented floods in Kerala. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud considered the Centre's submission that the sub-committee of the Mullaperiyar dam had met on Aug. 23 and directed the Tamil Nadu government to ensure that the water level is maintained at 139 feet, which is two feet below the permissible limit fixed by the apex court.

(Source: PTI)

No specific amount for financial aid to flood-ravaged Kerala has been finalised officially by the United Arab Emirates and there was no announcement on donation to the state, officials in UAE Embassy said in New Delhi, amid a row over the Centre deciding not to accept any foreign donations for flood relief.

UAE ambassador Ahmed Albannam, without mentioning financial aid, said his government only set up a national emergency committee to provide relief assistance to people affected by flash floods in Kerala. "The UAE has not officially announced any financial aid for Kerala flood relief. We have not conveyed anything to India on any assistance," said a senior official in the UAE embassy in New Delhi.

(Source: PTI)