Kerala faces huge task of rebuilding, rehabilitation as floodwaters recede

As floodwaters continue to recede in parts of Kerala, the state now faces a gigantic task of reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure and rehabilitation lakhs of people rendered homeless.

The death toll in the current spell of monsoon fury that began on August 8 has risen to 223. The Centre has declared the devastating floods a 'calamity of severe nature'.

With flood water level receding in many places, people have started returning to their homes and begun cleaning operations. 

"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," a home ministry official said in New Delhi.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinayari Vijayan has urged Centre for additional help. Vijayan said there has been demands from various quarters to declare the floods as a national calamity.

"Our demand is also the same. But the Centre is pointing out certain technical difficulties to make such an announcement. What we need now is to evaluate the total loss and get an equivalent assistance from the centre," he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

As per preliminary estimates, the state has so far suffered a loss of nearly Rs 20,000 crore. The Union government has so far rendered all help to the state. Kerala received Rs 210 crore towards the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund and a promise of Rs 160 crore," he said.

► Over 10.78 lakh displaced people, including 2.12 lakh women and one lakh children below 12 years of age, have been sheltered in 3,200 relief camps.

► 602 persons were rescued on Monday from various places as the rains receded
 
► The government will on August 29 honour fishermen who participated in the rescue operations

► State government has decided to distribute cleaning kits to people

► The Army, Navy, and NDRF teams continued their rescue efforts. 1,500 army personnel were engaged in rescue operations and people stranded on rooftops and inaccesible areas were being winched with the help of defence helicopters.

► Aviation regulator DGCA is, meanwhile, monitoring airfares for flights connecting flood-hit Kerala as this is a unique situation of 'humanitarian crisis', Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said in the national capital.

►  No provision to declare Ker floods as national calamity: Union Minister

Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam has turned down the demand of Congress leaders to declare Kerala flood as a "national calamity" and said there was no provision in the Disaster Management Act 2005 to do so.

► Train services partially restored in flood-hit Kerala

The train services which had collapsed following the incessant downpour in Kerala, have been partially restored. The train services in Kayankulam-Kottayam- Ernakulam and Palakkad-Shoranur-Kozhikkode sections have been resumed.
 
Barring the flood-affected areas, the Southern Railway had began running 159 Express trains and 11 passenger trains connecting Kerala to the rest of the states from August 16-18.

► Declare Kerala floods a national calamity: Chandrababu Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has demanded that the Centre declare Kerala floods a national calamity.

The demand comes close on the heels of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Left parties in Kerala and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy making similar demands to the central government.

► Army will stay in Ker till situation stabilised: Southern chief

The Army would continue to be engaged in the rescue operations in flood-hit Kerala till the situation stabilised, Southern Command chief Lt Gen D R Soni said.

He also said the Army's medical teams would extend the first line of relief in co-ordination with the government. "There are inaccessible areas and our men will continue to reach out to people who needed to be rescued," he told reporters here.

(With agency inputs)