Floods: Nearly 200 killed in rain-related incidents in Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra

Nearly 200 people have died in rain-related episodes in four states – Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The toll in the floods in Kerala rose to 83 and that in Karnataka and Maharashtra rose to 42 and 43 respectively on Monday. Meanwhile, 31 people died of rain-related incidents in the last five days in Gujarat, PTI reported.

According to official data released at 7 pm on Monday, 83 people died in several rain-related incidents and around 58 people are still missing, The News Minute reported. The toll included those trapped under debris in Kavalappara and the eight missing after a landslide in Puthumala in Wayanad district. The highest number of deaths were reported from Malappuram district with 27 deaths, followed by Kozhikode with 17 deaths and Wayanad with 12 casualties.

Only two districts in Kerala – Alappuzha and Ernakulam – are on an orange alert, or “be prepared”, for the day, with the likelihood of heavy to very heavy rain in isolated places.

As many as 58 people are missing in Kerala, and 32 were injured between August 8 and August 11. Over 2.87 lakh people have been evacuated to 1,654 relief camps across the state. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that rain-related incidents claimed 76 lives and 58 people were missing, adding that 1,654 relief camps were functional in the state with 2,87,585 locals from 83,274 families.

The chief minister also held a high-level review meeting to assess relief operations and conducted a session with district collectors through video conference. “In the meeting, chief minister instructed collectors to ensure that enough facilities are provided for those in the relief camps,” the chief minister’s office tweeted. Vijayan also reviewed the flood situation with senior officials on Sunday.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday began a two-day visit to Wayanad, his constituency in Kerala, to assess the flood situation. Gandhi assured all help to those affected due to floods and met Wayanad District Collector AR Ajayakumar to go over the flood situation in his constituency, according to ANI.

“I visited the epicentre of Puthumala landslide at Meppadi in Wayanad,” PTI quoted him saying. “This is the site of a terrible landslide that destroyed an entire village, many people are still feared to be trapped and rescue work is ongoing.” He also visited those in relief camps at Meppadi in Wayanad and Kaithapol in Kozhikode district and assured people that he would help them rebuild their lives.

The Congress MP also distributed relief materials to people at the relief camp in Kaithapoil and said he had asked the state government “to bring in reconstruction, give compensation and distribute medicines and cleaning equipment at the earliest”.

Strong winds with speed up to 45 km per hour to 55 km per hour are likely along and off the Kerala and Karnataka coasts, the India Meteorological Department said. Fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea. Meanwhile, educational institutions would remain shut due to the forecast of heavy rain.

A Defense Public Relations Officer said that 3,000 Army personnel took part in relief operations in 15 districts of four states. “A total of approximately 35,000 people were rescued or evacuated in the states,” ANI quoted the official as saying. The official added that 34 relief teams in Kerala had conducted relief operations in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Malappuram and three other districts.

Karnataka

In Karnataka, 42 people died in flood-related incidents, PTI reported. As many as 12 people are missing. Over 3.2 lakh people have taken shelter in 1,168 relief camps. As many as 2,028 villages have been affected, and 28,325 houses damaged. As much as 4.25 lakh hectares of crops have been lost due to the floods.

The defence official said that 48 relief teams had been assisting with relief operations in the state, where the condition was steadily improving, ANI reported.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who took stock of the damage caused due to floods in Dakshina Kannada district on Monday, announced compensation for the victims. “Five bridges and 300 houses damaged or completely destroyed in the floods in the district,” ANI quoted him as saying. “These families will receive a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each. As an emergency relief, Rs 10,000 will be distributed to the victims.”

Yediyurappa also inspected a bridge across the Netravathi river at Kukkavu in Belthangady taluk, and visited those moved to the relief centre in the area.

Yediyurappa, who also did an aerial survey of Belagavi and Bagalkote on Sunday with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said the state has incurred a loss of Rs 10,000 crore. “Our preliminary estimate of losses is Rs 10,000 crore, but I personally believe that the losses will stand between Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore,” he said. “We have urged the central government to release Rs 3,000 crore immediately as assistance.”

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi also inspected the flood-hit districts of the state on Monday, according to ANI.

The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre has said that Belagavi is most likely to receive moderate rainfall for the next five days. The railways have announced the waiver of freight charges for transportation of relief materials to Karnataka.

Maharashtra

At least 43 people have died and nearly 4.48 lakh people were evacuated from flood-hit areas, including 4.04 lakh people from Kolhapur and Sangli, PTI reported.

The toll in Sangli district in Maharashtra stood at 17 on Sunday. Four lakh people were evacuated from flood-affected parts. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force distributed relief materials among those affected.

The Defence Public Relations Officer said that 21 relief teams that were deployed to assist in the flood situation in Kolhapur and Sangli districts were being de-requisitioned as the condition is returning to normal, according to ANI.

The movement of emergency vehicles has been temporarily restored on National Highway 4. The highway was closed due to floodwaters for eight days. Traffic has been allowed to move till Kolhapur.

However, the situation in Sangli and Kolhapur remains problematic, Mumbai Mirror reported. “At one place called Shirol in Kolhapur, we had to airdrop water from the helicopter as there was no drinking water,” Relief and Rehabilitation Secretary Kishor Nimbalkar said. He added that it will take another two to three days for the water in Sangli and Kolhapur to recede.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has asked the Reserve Bank of India and the State Bank of India to arrange for money to help those affected by the floods. Part of the compensation will be paid to the affected in cash.

“I have spoken to the SBI chairman and told him to provide us with ample cash,” Maharashtra Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta said. “We will require a lot of money in these flood-affected districts.”

SBI Chairperson Rajnish Kumar said the bank is ready to help the state in any way possible. Meanwhile, the RBI has asked for a green corridor and security to be able to transport the money.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Monday announced that he would donate Rs 50 lakh from his MP Local Area Development Scheme fund for the flood-hit Kolhapur and Sangli districts of Maharashtra.

Gujarat

In Gujarat, nearly 31 people have reportedly died due to rain-related incidents in the last five days, according to PTI. Efforts are underway to trace and rescue fishermen of two missing boats.

The Indian Air Force on Monday rescued nearly 125 people stranded on a road washed away by floods due to heavy rainfall in Kutch district. The IAF helicopters were also used to rescue flood-affected people from Navsari in south Gujarat and Jamnagar in last few days.

Several parts of Gujarat, including Saurashtra and Kutch regions, received heavy rainfall over the last few days.

The India Meteorological Department said heavy rainfall at isolated places in districts of South Gujarat is likely over the next two days and heavy to very heavy rainfall in districts of North Gujarat on Wednesday.