At least 37 people have so far been killed in the Kerala heavy rains since August 8 and over 50,000 persons have been shifted to relief camps. A red alert has been issued for 8 districts-- Idukki, Wayanad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Kottayam, Alappuzha of the 14 districts in the state by the Indian Meteorological department.
At least 37 people have so far been killed in the Kerala heavy rains since August 8 and over 50,000 persons have been shifted to relief camps. A red alert has been issued for 8 districts-- Idukki, Wayanad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Kottayam, Alappuzha of the 14 districts in the state by the Indian Meteorological department.
"Several teams are ready, whenever District Administration directs we will make our move. All teams have diving equipments, boats and are ready to help the public, " Commander Sridhar Warrier PRO (Defence) was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Torrential rains and landslides during India's June-September mansoon season have ravaged farmlands and prompted massive evacuation efforts in Kerala state.
Crops on 1,031 hectares (2547.66 acres) have been damaged and 31,000 people have been forced to take shelter in rescue camps, according to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority's (KSDMA) control room in the state capital.
A senior official there said eight districts had been put on varying levels of high alert.
Another government official previously told Reuters that crop worth 3.42 billion rupees ($49.65 million), across 26,824 hectares had been destroyed by rains since their onset on May 29.
PH Kurian, KSDMA's chief and a top state bureaucrat, said rains had eased.
"There was no rain in the catchment areas of major reservoirs today," Kurian said. "However, we will continue our alert and preparedness till August 15."
Federal home minister Rajnath Singh was expected to travel to the state on Sunday to take a stock of the relief and rescue operations, Kurian added.
Kerala state authorities have taken the unprecedented step of opening the gates of 25 water reservoirs to prevent potentially disastrous breaches.
The state, which has 44 rivers, witnessed its worst floods in 1924 following torrential rains.
The weather department forecast heavy rains until August 15, India's Independence Day, also warning of flooding in low-lying coastal areas. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Arabian sea.
Despite the rains, tens of hundreds of Hindus across the state gathered on the banks of rivers and roads to perform a ritual in honour of their ancestors.
With the state facing an unprecedented rain havoc, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has made a personal contribution of Rs one lakh to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).
Urging everyone to contribute generously to relief efforts, Vijayan said in a Facebook post that rebuilding the affected areas is going to be an arduous task.
The Chief Minister CM had also asked everyone to express solidarity with the people of the state in their hour of crisis.
Meanwhile, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today announced a relief assistance of Rs 1 crore to the Kerala government to tackle the situation arising out of floods.
He also appealed to traders, industrialists and others to make generous contributions to the Puducherry Chief Minister Relief Fund which would be sent to the Kerala government for relief works.
Twenty nine people have so far been killed in the heavy rains and floods since August 8 in the state and many homes damaged and crops destroyed.
(With agency inputs)
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