Articles by "Flood"
Showing posts with label Flood. Show all posts

Hello Jammu News at 1:14:00 PM 0

Jammu, Sep 24: Twenty-nine people stranded in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district after flash floods and heavy rains were rescued Monday, officials said.

Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the all-weather road linking Kashmir to the rest of the country, was also restored Monday a day after it was closed due to landslides at different places, they said.

"A total of 29 persons, including six women and 10 children, were rescued from various flood-hit areas of Kathua district during overnight operations," a police officer said.

They were rescued from the Nagri, Chabbe Chak and Jakhole and Billawar areas of the district by police and state disaster response force personnel. Bovines are also being moved to safety, the officials said.

Rescue and police teams have been deployed at various areas following the flash floods triggered by incessant rains in different rivers of Kathua district, they said.

In Doda district, authorities have ordered the closure of all educational institutions as a precautionary measure and also set up control rooms in view of heavy rains in the Jammu region since the last two days, the officials said.

"Police are on high alert to meet any exigency due to floods. Police teams are deployed at vulnerable points and helpline numbers have been opened," the officer said.

With improvement in weather, authorities Monday morning opened the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway for traffic.

"The road was cleared late Sunday night and light motor vehicles were allowed to move on the highway from Srinagar and Jammu Monday morning," a traffic department spokesman said.

Multiple landslides and shooting stones from a hillock along the highway between Ramban and Udhampur districts blocked the arterial road Sunday morning.

The road was cleared by the road maintenance agency concerned and made traffic worthy, the spokesman said.

He said the vehicles stranded at Mansar, Manwal, Flata, Sangoor, Jakheni and Udhampur have been allowed to proceed.

In Doda, officials said district authorities announced closure of all educational institutions in view of heavy rains that triggered floods in Neeru stream and various rivulets.

The local administration has also directed people to remain indoors and not venture near water bodies or slopes.

"People residing near banks of the Neeru and it's tributaries have been advised to be careful and avoid crossing temporary bridges or crossings over the streams," the officials said.

On Saturday, the metrological department had predicted moderate to heavy rain or thundershowers for the next 48 hours at most places in the Jammu region. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 2:09:00 PM 0

Wilmington, Sep 15: A woman and her baby were killed when a tree fell on their house and several more storm-related deaths were reported Friday as Hurricane Florence slammed into the Carolinas, dousing the eastern US states with torrential rain and causing rivers to burst their banks.

Four deaths were confirmed by officials as US media reported another.

Hundreds of people needed to be rescued after becoming trapped in their homes by a storm surge of up to 10 feet (three meters) in New Bern, a town of 30,000 in North Carolina at the confluence of the Trent and Neuse rivers.

As of 8:00 pm (0000 GMT), Florence was downgraded to a tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) but authorities warned the danger was far from over, predicting "life-threatening storm surges and strong winds" would persist through the night.

"We are expecting several more days of rain," North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said, describing the amount of rainfall from the hurricane as a "1,000-year event." "Into next week our rivers are going to continue to rise and there will be more significant flooding," Cooper said.

There had been three confirmed deaths from the storm and several others were being investigated to determine if they were storm-related, he said.

The mother and her baby were killed in New Hanover County when a tree fell on their house, the governor said, while confirming another death in Lenoir County.

Local authorities reported a death in Pender County when downed trees prevented emergency units from reaching a woman with a medical condition. Local media said she had suffered a heart attack.

US media later said a second man in Lenoir County died after heavy winds knocked him down as he tried to check on his dogs.

"This storm is going to continue its violent grind across our state for days," Cooper said. "The storm is wreaking havoc on our state." More than 760,000 customers in North Carolina were without power and 21,000 people were being housed in 157 shelters across the state.

The White House said President Donald Trump was to visit hurricane-hit areas next week "once it is determined his travel will not disrupt any rescue or recovery efforts."

As of 8:00 pm (local time), maximum sustained winds had weakened to 70 miles per hour but the NHC warned Carolina residents to be alert for life-threatening storm surges and "catastrophic freshwater flooding." "Flash flooding will be extreme and flood waters will come up quickly and seemingly out of nowhere," the governor said.

"We're deeply concerned for whole communities which could be wiped away." Some of the worst flooding was in New Bern, where authorities were enforcing a curfew.

Both the Trent and Neuse rivers overflowed their banks, flooding homes, stores and streets and trapping many people in their houses.

"WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU. You may need to move up to the second story, or to your attic, but WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU," the authorities in New Bern said on Twitter.

Governor Cooper said there have been "several hundred" rescue operations and "there are still some people they need to get to." Besides federal and state emergency crews, rescuers were being helped by volunteers from the "Cajun Navy" who also turned up in Houston during Hurricane Harvey to carry out water rescues.

Hurricane Florence made landfall as a Category 1 storm at 7:15 am (local time) in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, after stalking the Carolina coast for days.

The NHC described Florence as a "slow mover" and said it had the potential to dump historic amounts of rain on North and South Carolina, as much as 40 inches (one meter) in some places.

"This is not the end of it," said Jeff Byard, associate administrator for response and recovery at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

He said "24 to 36 hours remain for significant threats" from heavy rain, storm surge and flooding.

A tornado watch was issued for eastern North Carolina.

In Wilmington, near where the eye of the hurricane touched down, trees and power lines were felled and many windows had been broken. The streets were mostly deserted and some were blocked by fallen trees.

The city awoke Friday to the sound of exploding electrical transformers with strong gusts of wind throwing street signs and other debris as well as water in all directions.

In Wilmington, Mason Tarr said he spent the night at a friend's house but didn't sleep well.

"Our house is on high ground so we're not worried about the flooding," he said. "But there are a lot of big trees around so we preferred to spend the night at a friends to be sure.

"We're out of power so we spent the first few hours of the day playing board games with candles," he said.

About 1.7 million people in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are under voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders, and millions of others live in areas likely to be affected by the storm.  (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 1:19:00 PM 0

Wilmington, Sep 14: The outer edge of Hurricane Florence began buffeting the Carolinas with wind and rain on Thursday as forecasters warned the monster storm would trigger life-threatening flooding as it assaults the US east coast.

As Florence churned slowly towards the coasts of North and South Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane, federal and state officials issued final appeals to residents to get out of the path of the "once in a lifetime" weather system.

"This storm will bring destruction," North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said.

"Catastrophic effects will be felt." Federal emergency management officials warned that Florence -- while weakening slightly -- remains a "very dangerous storm" capable of wreaking havoc along a wide swathe of the coast.

"Just because the wind speed came down, the intensity of this storm came down to a Cat 2, please do not let your guard down," said Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Warning of looming storm surges of nine to 12 feet (2.7-3.6 meters), he urged residents to take the storm seriously no matter the category, saying "this is all about the water anyway."

Florence was downgraded to a Category 2 storm overnight on the five-level Saffir-Simpson wind scale but it is still packing hurricane-force winds of 100 miles (155 kilometers) per hour, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Winds were already picking up along the coastline early Thursday and some minor flooding was reported on the Outer Banks, barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, and in some seaside coastal towns.

Myrtle Beach, a South Carolina beach resort, was virtually deserted with empty streets, boarded up storefronts and very little traffic.

And in Wilmington, North Carolina, a steady rain began to fall as gusts of winds intensified, causing trees to sway and stoplights to flicker.

Avair Vereen, 39, took her seven children to a shelter in Conway High School.

"We live in a mobile home so we were just like 'No way,'" she said. "If we lose the house, oh well, we can get housing." "But we can't replace us so we decided to come here." - Monster storm surge expected -

At 5:00 pm (0230 IST), Florence was over the Atlantic Ocean about 160 kilometers east-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, and moving west-northwest at five miles per hour, the NHC said.

Steve Goldstein of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Florence's forward motion had slowed overnight and it was not expected to make landfall in the Carolinas until "some time Friday afternoon, Friday evening or Saturday morning."

He said hurricane-force winds extend outward 80 miles from the center of the storm and tropical storm-force winds extend nearly 200 miles out.

Some areas could receive as much as 40 inches (one meter) of rain, forecasters said.

"This rainfall will produce catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding," the NHC said.

A tornado watch was also in effect for parts of North Carolina.

"This is a very dangerous storm," said FEMA's Long, urging people still in evacuation zones to heed orders to flee to safer ground.

"Your time is running out," he warned.

Long said the danger was not only along the coast. "Inland flooding kills a lot of people, unfortunately, and that's what we're about to see," he said.

About 1.7 million people in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are under voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders and millions of others live in areas likely to be affected by what officials called a "once in a lifetime" storm.

South Carolina ordered the mandatory evacuation of one million coastal residents while North Carolina announced an evacuation of the Outer Banks, a popular tourist destination.

In Virginia, 245,000 coastal residents were told to flee.

A state of emergency has been declared in five coastal states -- North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland and Virginia -- as well as the US capital Washington.

Duke Energy, a power company in the Carolinas, estimated that one million to three million customers could lose electricity because of the storm and that it could take weeks to restore.

Not everybody was heeding orders to evacuate, however.

Antonio Ramirez, a construction worker from El Salvador living in Leland, North Carolina, said he planned to ride out the worst of the weather with his dog Canelo. (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:01:00 PM 0

New Delhi, Sep 3: Over 1,400 people, including 488 in Kerala, have lost their lives due to rains, floods and landslides in 10 states so far in the monsoon season, the Home Ministry said Monday.

According to the ministry's National Emergency Response Centre (NERC), 488 people have died in Kerala and 54.11 lakh in 14 districts have been severely hit by rains and floods, the worst in a century.

As many as 14.52 lakh flood-displaced people are living in relief camps across the state.

Standing crops on over 57,024 hectares of land were damaged in the southern state.

As many as 254 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, 210 in West Bengal, 170 in Karnataka, 139 in Maharashtra, 52 in Gujarat, 50 in Assam, 37 in Uttarakhand, 29 in Odisha and 11 in Nagaland.

Forty-three people have been missing -- 15 in Kerala, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, five in West Bengal, six in Uttarakhand and three in Karnataka, while 386 have been injured in rain-related incidents in the 10 states.

Rains and floods have hit 30 districts in Odisha, 26 districts in Maharashtra, 25 in Assam, 23 each in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, 14 in Kerala, 13 in Uttarakhand, 11 each in Karnataka and Nagaland, 10 in Gujarat.

In Assam, 11.47 lakh people have borne the brunt of the rains and floods, which have also hit crops on 27,964 hectares of land. In West Bengal, the deluges have hit 2.28 lakh people and damaged crops on 48,552 hectares of land.

In Uttar Pradesh, 3.42 lakh people have been impacted and crops on 50,873 hectares damaged. In Karnataka, 3.5 lakh population have been hit and crops on 3,521 hectares of land damaged. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:50:00 PM 0

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 28: Around 70,000 people have volunteered in a massive clean-up drive in Kuttanad, known as the Kerala's rice bowl, to remove the slit and debris dumped by flood, as rehabilitation work continued in other affected areas of the state.

The Kuttanad region, which is below the sea level, has several areas still inundated, a week after the torrential rains that triggered the devastating deluge across the state stopped and water receded in most other parts.

State Finance Minister Thomas Isaac and PWD Minister G Sudhakaran launched the drive in which nearly 70,000 volunteers will clean around one lakh buildings in Kainakary, Nedumudi and other areas of Kuttanad in Alapuzha district.

At least 1,000 engineers, IT volunteers and snake catchers along with cleaning supplies have also joined the drive.

The volunteers reached Kuttanad in boats and buses and have fanned out across 16 panchayats to clear around one lakh buildings, including houses, public places and places of worship, of the slush and debris, Sudhakaran told reporters.

Asserting that there was an overwhelming response from the people, with many even from far off districts joining in the drive, he said the initial plan was to complete the clean-up by August 30.

However, since a large number of houses were still waterlogged, it would take more time, the minister said.

Isaac said they were overwhelmed by the response as people from as far as northern Kannur district had come to help people clean their homes.

Meanwhile, cleaning operations across the flood-hit areas are progressing fast and in many places people have started returning home.

Fifty-two-year-old Rema said she along with her family returned home last night, 11 days after they fled as their house at Aluva in Kochi submerged in flood water.

She said a team of volunteers along with the family members cleaned their house.

"Some more cleaning up work has to be undertaken," Rema said.

As schools are reopening tomorrow after Onam vacation, focus will also be on cleaning up of the campuses. People staying in schools which have been converted into relief camps, would be shifted to auditoriums and halls.

According to the directions issued by Education Minister C Raveendranath, children attending classes in flood-affected areas would be taken special care.

They would be provided counselling and programmes would be held to cheer them up, officials said.

According to preliminary estimate, the state has so far suffered a loss of Rs 20,000 crore in the devastation caused by the deluge under the deadly second spell of monsoon since August 8. A total of 3.42 lakh people are in 1,093 relief camps.

As many 474 people died in rain-related incidents since May 29 when the monsoon set in over the state.

With rehabilitation measures on, the state government has said an immediate relief of Rs 10,000 would be disbursed to the victims soon. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has issued necessary instructions in this regard to district collectors.

The Kochi international airport which stopped its operations since August 14 following flooding is expected to commence services from tomorrow.

As an interim measure, civil aircraft operations were facilitated from the Naval airport in Kochi.

Road traffic is also slowly becoming normal in affected areas. In high range Idukki district, one of the worst hit by monsson fury, many damaged roads are yet to be repaired and bus services have started in many places sparsely.

Ernakulam District Collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla said rehabilitation of thousands of people who lost their livelihood and were rendered homeless in badly-hit Ernakulam district was going to be a "long-drawn" affair.

Close to 700 houses were fully damaged and nearly 20,000 partially in the flood fury in the district, the commercial capital of Kerala. Nearly two lakhs houses were impacted by the floods in the district.

"Rehabilitation process is going to be long drawn. It may be a six months or a year. Construction of these houses and rebuilding of the public infrastructure is going to take time.

Livelihood may take even longer," he told.

Around 75,000 people were in 107 camps as of yesterday, he said adding a massive clean-up drive had been initiated. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:26:00 PM 0


Kochi, Aug 28: Rehabilitation of thousands of people who lost their livelihood and were rendered homeless in the recent floods in Ernakulam district is going to be a "long-drawn" affair, District Collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla said here.

Close to 700 houses were fully and about 20,000 homes partially damaged in the fury of the floods in the district, one of the worst hit, after rivers including Periyar and Muvattupuzha violently breached their banks following heavy rains and opening of major dams.

Nearly two lakhs houses were impacted by the floods in the Ernakulam district, which is also the commercial capital of Kerala.

"Rehabilitation process is going to be long drawn. It may be six months or a year. Construction of these houses and rebuilding of the public infrastructure is going to take time.

Livelihood may take even longer," he told here.

Safirulla termed as "very serious issue" the loss suffered by the private businesses in many towns and villages particularly in Aluva and North Paravoor taluks in the district in the floods.

He said the district administration has started taking the assessment of the heavy losses they suffered.

"People have lost their shops, they have to rebuild it, they have to rebuild their finances for restarting the livelihood.

Livelihood may also take longer. So I think we are in for a long haul... even a year or so. Long term process," the collector said.

Noting that the agriculture sector of the district also suffered heavily in the floods, Safirulla said, "Entire agriculture have been wiped out in Paravoor Taluk. We again have to do a detailed assessment."

The district collector said there were 107 relief camps sheltering 75,000 people.

In the district we have close to 8,000 people who are in the cleanliness drive working specifically in North Paravur and Aluva Taluks," he added.

The clean-up drive has mostly reached its conclusion stage in other three affected taluks including Kothamangalam, Kunnathunadu and Muvattupuzha.

According to data released this morning by the Disaster Management's state control room, 474 people have died in the rains and floods in Kerala since May 29, when the South West Monsoon set over the state. (PTI)

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Hello Jammu News at 6:35:00 PM 0

Kochi, Aug 27: The Indian Navy rescued nearly 17,000 people caught in gushing waters in flood-ravaged Kerala, a Defence spokesperson said here today.

Navy personnel who were part of the rescue mission code named "Op Madad" in Kerala, displayed their skills and courage in rescuing thousands of people, Commander Sridhar Warrier, the spokesperson in Kochi, said.

In all, the Indian Navy rescued a total of 16,843 people, of which 1,173 were airlifted while 15,670 were rescued by teams using Gemini boats after Kerala experienced unprecedented rainfall, which resulted in widespread flooding, he told.

"Such was their efficiency that in fact, no deaths by drowning were reported in any area where Naval teams systematically organised their rescue efforts," he said.

Warrier said a robust and efficient Command, Control and Logistics Organisation of the Southern Naval Command (SNC), coordinated by Joint Operation Centre (JOC), ensured naval personnel deployed in the worst-hit areas were utilised efficiently to rescue maximum number of people.

Based on inputs from the state administration, as well as feedback from the teams on ground, careful planning of the utilisation of resources available with the Command was done and teams were deployed in the general areas where distress calls were most concentrated, he said.

"Once the resources available with the Southern Naval Command in terms of Gemini boats and divers were found to be falling short, additional resources were sought and promptly received from other Naval commands," Warrier said.

SNC Headquarters also coordinated with the Air Force headquarters for airlift of personnel and equipment from Mumbai and Visakhapatnam to Kochi.

He said deployment of teams to inaccessible areas was mostly done by airlift and even this was extremely difficult as landing grounds for the aircraft were not readily available due to inundation of most areas.

The teams were dropped off at the closest locations and, thereafter, they moved by boat/road to the affected areas.

Naval aircraft operated from the Naval Air Station INS Garuda and were deployed from Chalakudy, Thrissur to Ayroor, Pathanamthitta to airlift survivors from locations inaccessible by road, the spokesman said.

Some of the rescued people were relocated to safe sites and the rest were brought to Naval relief camps set up in the T-2 Hangar and Naval KG School inside the Naval Base, he said.

As the waters receded, de-induction of 92 teams and over 500 men began after obtaining clearance from the state government.

He said Wayanad district was the first to be severely hit as a result of the incessant rains, which resulted in flooding and landslides.

Consequently, on August 9 in view of the worsening situation and the challenges faced by the state administration, the Southern Naval Command launched "Operation Madad" to facilitate rescue and relief efforts to the affected areas, the spokesman said.

Initially, Op Madad State III was executed on August 9, which was raised to State II on August 10, wherein majority of rescue and relief teams were brought to full readiness and kept on standby for immediate deployment, he said.

The rains intensified considerably from August 14 which resulted in waters in major dams crossing the danger levels and forcing the state government to order opening of the shutters of some 35 of these 39 dams.

"This resulted in major flooding at Ernakulam, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts mainly due to opening of shutters of four dams in Idukki district and Kakki Dam in Pathanamthitta district and led to massive increase in water levels and flow in Periyar and Pamba rivers," he said.

Since the situation developed over a period of ten days, the naval deployments were also carried out in phases.

The Joint Operations Centre (JOC), Kochi became the nerve centre during the conduct of Operation Madad.

The JOC was augmented with a Planning and Coordination Section, rescue coordination cell within the operations room and a team muster and kitting up point at the ground floor of the JOC building, in order to quickly deploy teams as per requirement, the spokesman said.

Deployment of rescue teams peaked on August 19, wherein a total of 92 teams were deployed simultaneously across all affected areas, he added.

JOC was also the nerve centre for planning and coordination with all other Services and state agencies, and carried out this task seamlessly to maximise rescue efforts on the ground.

Over 300 people have died and lakhs displaced in the floods and landslides caused by the monsoon rains since August 8 across Kerala. (PTI)

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Hello Jammu News at 4:54:00 PM 0

New Delhi, Aug 27: Floods in Kerala have damaged paddy, banana, spices and other crops in 45,000 hectare of farmland, Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Pattanayak said today.

The state government has been asked to submit a detailed proposal seeking central funds to provide relief to the growers, he said.

"The state has estimated damage to 45,000 hectare of farm fields. We have also got the same report. More than crops, the damage to houses and other infrastructure is more in Kerala," Pattanayak told.

Paddy has been affected in 20,000 hectare and even banana plantations has been hit badly. Spices like cardamom have been affected in 2,000 hectare or so, he said.

As per the official data, area sown to paddy crop in Kerala stood at 57,000 hectare till last week in the current season, lower than 62,000 hectare in the year-ago period.

The sowing of paddy, the main kharif crop, begins with the onset of southwest monsoon from July and harvesting is done from October onwards. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 2:24:00 PM 0

Alappuzha(Ker), Aug 27: As flood waters rose to engulf their homes at Kainakary, a picturesque village in Alappuzha district, at least 20 families took refuge in a church cemetery and are living in the company of the dead with their domestic animals.

Thankachan and his family refused to accept help and go to a safer place leaving behind their cows and goats.

However, as the water rose to a dangerous level, the family took shelter in the St Mary's church cemetery at Kainakary village, a taluk in Kuttanad, with the animals.

Kainakary is a sought-after spot by television serial makers due to its scenic beauty.

"We are not scared of living in the cemetery in the company of the dead. This is the final resting place of my father, elder sister and many other relatives who are buried here," Thankachan said.

"We had cows and goats and we did not want to leave them behind," he added.

Presently, there are 20 other families who have taken shelter at the graveyard.

They cook meals with whatever they are able to lay hands on, including fish.

Water is a problem though and the stranded people have to depend on bottled water from Alappuzha.

Five rivers originating from the Western Ghats, including the sacred Pamba river, drain into the Vembanad lake at the tip of Kainakary, famous for its snake boat race rowers. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:38:00 PM 0

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 25: The death toll in Kerala floods has touched 265 since August 8 while 36 people are still missing, the latest government figures show, even as the state prepares to mount a massive rehabilitation process for the displaced.

The hilly district of Idukki, housing the largest arch dam in Asia from which waters were released for the first time in 26 years, has been hit the hardest -- 51 deaths and 10 still missing, as per the latest figures released by the Disaster Management State Control Room.

The district, home to tea and spices plantations, is also a favourite tourist destination.

According to the latest toll figures released by the government, 265 people have lost their lives in the floods since August 8, when a second spell of monsoon fury unleashed.

Thrissur has reported 43 deaths, Ernakulam (38), Alapuzha (34) and Malappuram (30).

With over 8.69 lakh people still in 2,287 relief camps, it is a subdued 'Onam', the harvest festival, in the state.

However, despite the massive setback, many people who, have lost their homes and all their belongings, marked the occasion, though it was low key.

For some who returned to their homes, cleaning up their dwellings was the uppermost in their mind.

Ten year-old Nandana was busy drying her books in front of her home in Kochi. "There is no floral carpet in my home," she said.

While in another camp, children gathered together, made new friends and played football and cricket in an effort to take their mind off the trauma.

A government release issued late last night said the flood-hit areas would be recorded using a mobile app, with the help of voluntary organisations and local bodies and compensation would be distributed after this process.

A total of Rs 10,000 each would be transferred to the bank accounts of 3.91 lakh families affected by the flood and Rs 242.73 crore has been earmarked from the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief fund (CMDRF) for the purpose, the release said.

Plans are also afoot to retrieve certificates and lost documents of the flood-affected people from the database of various departments in the state, it said.

The information technology and other departments were in the process of developing a software for the purpose. Adalats would also be held from the first week of September to facilitate recovery of the documents, according to the release.

With the government emphasising sanitation activities to prevent outbreak of water-related diseases in flood-affected areas, a total of 1.31 lakh houses, about 31 per cent of total flood-hit buildings, have so far been cleaned.

The state government was also mulling interest-free loans of up to Rs 10 lakh for the flood-affected small scale industries.

Earlier, a moratorium was declared for agriculture loans by the government. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 3:54:00 PM 0

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 24: As floodwaters recede in Kerala, the focus is now on taking care of the over 10.40 lakh people staying in relief camps and rehabilitating people whose houses have been destroyed in the deluge.

People from all over the country and abroad have pitched in to help the state by offering material and also cash donations to the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF).

A total of Rs 539 crore has been received till last night, official sources said.

Though people from relief camps have started returning to their homes, more than 10.40 lakh people were still in 2,770 camps across the state.

After the flood waters started receding, nearly five lakh people have gone back to their houses over the past few days.

However, people who have returned to their homes face the gigantic task of cleaning their houses as it is filled with slush along with different species of reptiles including poisonous cobras.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who visited various relief camps in the worst-affected Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur district yesterday, has said that government's focus was now on rehabilitation of the affected people and rebuilding the state.

On the cleaning process, he said the sanitation drive wa on and more than 37,000 wells and 60,000 houses were cleaned.

"We have roped in forces to carry out burial of animal carcasses, that posed a health threat," he said.

On the rehabilitation process, he said people residing in disaster-prone areas would be shifted to a suitable location after due consultation.

"Let us celebrate Onam festival by providing relief and help to the flood-affected people," Vijayan said.

The annual harvest festival of the state Onam falls tomorrow.

Assuring all help to people, he said plans were also on the anvil to provide interest-free bank loans to repair flood-hit houses.

The government was planning to complete cleaning of public places and houses by end of this week, official sources said adding special squads have been formed at the ward level to co-ordinate the work.

The state government also announced a package of Rs 2.5 crore for repairing fishing vessels of fishermen who took part in flood relief work.

A total of 700 fishing boats were deployed for rescue operations between August 15 and 20.

More than 3,500 fishermen were engaged in rescue operations and they saved nearly 65,000 people, state Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma said.

Indian Air Force engaged in providing medical facilities to the affected people in relief camps, said it has deployed its 10-bed mobile hospital and a Rapid Action Medical Team at Chetankery near Thiruvala, a waterlogged area in Pathanamthitta district.

IAF medical teams have visited 26 camps and treated more than 1,600 people, it said.

Indian Railways, as part of relief operations, moved water special wagons carrying more than 20 lakh litres of water, besides also arranging around two lakh bottles of water to flood affected people.

The heavy rains and flooding has claimed 231 lives since August 8 in the second spell of the monsoon.

The state has suffered an estimated loss of Rs 20,000 crore (as per a preliminary estimate) due to the floods and sought an interim assistance of Rs 2,600 crore from the Centre, besides a special package of a similar amount under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 6:11:00 PM 0

Madikeri (Karnataka), Aug 23: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will visit tomorrow the floods and landslide-ravaged Kodagu district, bordering Kerala, where rescue and relief operations are underway in full swing.

The torrential rains that lashed the district last week has left a huge trail of destruction and claimed at least 16 lives. Thousands have been rendered homeless.

Sitharaman is expected to reach Kushalnagar tomorrow morning and scheduled to visit affected areas including Kuvempu Layout, Sai Layout and talk to people there, the Karnataka BJP said.

She will then travel to landslide-hit areas of Madapur and take stock of the situation. After that, she is scheduled to visit a relief camp in Madikeri and interact with the inmates there.

The defence minister will also hold meetings with the district administration and other officials at the Deputy Commissioner's office on the relief and rehabilitation work.

Sitharaman, who is Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, is the second Union minister to visit the flood-ravaged district, after D V Sadananada Gowda, who also hails from the state.

The visit by the Defence Minister comes a day after state BJP Chief B S Yeddyurappa said he had apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the situation in Kodagu.

Meanwhile, former chief minister Siddaramaiah along with Pradesh Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao visited affected areas of the district and took stock of the situation today.

With rains subsiding in the last couple of days, relief and rehabilitation work have gained momentum in Kodagu, where operations to rescue those stranded due to floods and landslides have by and large been completed, according to officials.

The administration was now focused on providing relief and rehabilitating those at the relief camps, clearing blocked roads and restoring electricity.

However, a total of 1,019 rescuers from various agencies arestationed in Kodagu and are screening villages along with NGOs and local community.

An amount of Rs 30 crore has been released to Kodagu by the state government to take up relief works, officials said, adding engineers and personnel from Madras Engineer Group are being deputed to Kodagu for road restoration and debris clearance.

Schools that were shut for over 20 days reopened today, with teachers conducting classes to students at relief camps across the district.

Fifty-one relief camps have been set up in Kodagu that are currently housing 6,996 people.

According to officials, till last evening 4,450 were rescued and brought to safety.

According to preliminary estimates, around 1,118 houses have been damaged.

In Dakshina Kannada, another flood-hit district, five deaths have been reported and over 360 houses have been damaged, according to preliminary estimates.

Rescue teams along with locals are making efforts to rescue animals stranded and affected due to the natural calamity.

Officials said a three-member team from NGRI (National Geophysical Research Institute) headed by Ragavan visited Kodagu and set up a seismic monitoring centre in Navodaya School to closely monitor seismic activity in and around the area.

Also, the three-member team comprising Dr Srinivasa Reddy, Director, Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre and Dr H M S Prakash (former DDG, GSI) are conducting geo-technical studies in landslide affected region of Mangaluru.

Noting that there is loss of certificates, documents and identity cards due to flooding, officials said the government will set up common service centres that will act as single-window system to issue duplicate these documents.

Documents will be issued free of cost or at a nominal cost as deemed appropriate, and there will be no need to file an FIR. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 7:42:00 PM 0

New Delhi, Aug 21: Maruti Suzuki India said today that the company along with its employees will donate Rs 3.5 crore as Kerala flood relief effort.

It has donated Rs 2 crore towards the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund to strengthen relief, rebuilding and rehabilitation efforts of the government, Maruti Suzuki India said in a statement.

In addition, employees of the company will make a contribution amounting to Rs 1.5 crore, it added.

Earlier in the day, Bajaj Auto also announced contribution of Rs 2 crore in aid of flood-hit Kerala.

While Rs 1 crore is being contributed directly to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, the balance Rs 1 crore will be deployed by Jankidevi Bajaj Gram Vikas Sanstha (JBGVS), for distribution of survival kits, Bajaj Auto said in a statement.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) and TVS Motor Company too have announced contribution of Rs 1 crore each to the state Chief Minister relief fund.

Other companies such as Tata Motors, Nissan India and BWM have announced service support to customers in the state. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 6:30:00 PM 0

New Delhi, Aug 21: Rains, floods and landslides in Kerala have killed 373 people since May 30, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said today.

Altogether 87 people were injured and 32 others went missing in the deluge which hit all the 14 districts of the southern state.

A total of 373 people have lost their lives and 32 others went missing in Kerala since May 30 following monsoon rainfall, the NDMA said in a statement.

Over 54.11 lakh people in Kerala were affected in the massive floods of which 12.47 lakh inmates have taken shelter in 5,645 relief camps since May 30, it said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 59 teams and 207 boats, the Army has deployed 23 teams and 104 boats, the Navy has deployed 94 teams for the rescue and relief operations.

The Navy has also deployed one medical team, nine helicopters, two fixed wing aircraft, 94 boats, the Coast Guard has deployed 36 teams, 49 boats, two helicopters, 23 fixed wing helicopters, two fixed wing aircraft and 27 hired boats.

The Air Force has deployed 22 helicopters, 23 fixed wing aircraft while the Central Reserve Police Force has deployed 10 teams and the Border Security Force has deployed three company comprising 300 personnel.

The water level at the Mullaperiyar dam is at 140 feet, Idukki dam is at 2402.18 feet, Banasura Sagar dam is at 775.2 metre, Karapuzha dam is at 758.2 metre, Thenmala dam is at 114.80 metre, Idamalayar dam is at 168.86 metre and Pazhassi dam is at 16.9 metre.

The Centre has already declared the devastating floods in Kerala a "calamity of severe nature" as the state braced for the gigantic task of reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure and rehabilitation lakhs of people rendered homeless. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:31:00 PM 0

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 21: With floods ravaging Kerala and Coorg in Karnataka, animal rescuers are being inundated with distress calls from desperate people who were forced to evacuate their homes without their pets.

The Hyderabad-based Humane Society International/India has set up an emergency helpline to coordinate animal rescue throughout Kerala. It is collaborating with Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), based in Bangalore, for rescue efforts in Karnataka's hill district of Coorg.

Many rescue boats in the early days of the disaster in Kerala refused to take animals, leaving behind hundreds of dogs and cats to fend for themselves, especially in areas such as Kochi, Kottayam and Alappuzha where the pet population is high.

"People are desperately worried about their pets and our Kerala helpline is ringing day and night with pleas for animal rescue," said Rahul Sehgal, HSI India's senior director of Companion Animals & Engagement.

Every day, teams of rescuers are wading waist-deep through leech-infested water to check the remains of dwellings for stranded animals, he said.

"Many of the animals have now starved for several days so although they are traumatised, they are visibly relieved to hear a human voice," Sehgal added.

"There is still a huge rescue operation taking place, but once the water subsides we will start to reach animals who have been completely cut off, and we predict we will see large numbers needing treatment for skin disease, tick fever, distemper and thousands displaced on the streets," he said.

HSI India is working with a network of other Indian animal protection groups in each district across the state.

Pet owners are using WhatsApp to send photos of their animals and the location of their near-submerged houses so that HSI India can get rescuers to the scene to save the stranded pets, a spokesperson told.

Teams are being sent to Kerala and Coorg, which borders Kerala, to help cope with the scale of the rescue.

HSI India is working with local groups to reach as many animals as possible and also distributing vital life-saving equipment such as inflatable boats, veterinary medicines and food for starving animals.

"We are urging Kerala's humanitarian rescue teams to allow families to bring their pets, but if people are forced to leave them behind, they must be unchained or they risk drowning. We have a good chance of reuniting families with pets who run away, but a chained animal is doomed," said Sehgal.

In addition, HSI is ensuring that animals in other parts of Kerala also receive help, by responding to hundreds of distress calls and Instagram posts and assigning them to local groups in the relevant areas.

According to Sally Varma, HSI India's education and awareness officer, reports have come in of vast numbers of animals drowning in the disaster.

One woman in Thrissur refused to leave her home without help to rescue her 25 dogs, so HSI India's team arranged for their shelter at a nearby veterinary hospital.

While the waters are abating in some parts of Kerala, where more than 200 people have died and about 10 lakh people displaced, Coorg is also badly affected. Torrential rains in the district has left a trail of destruction and claimed at least 12 lives.

CUPA has deployed animal rescuers and veterinarians to assist rescue efforts in the area.

Animal rescuers are asking for relief materials such as dry food, medicines, bedding and dog crates to be sent to Kerala and as well as Coorg. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:27:00 PM 0

New Delhi, Aug 21: Over a dozen FMCG firms, including ITC, Coca Cola, Pepsi and Hindustan Unilever, have pledged to supply water bottle, food and necessary items to flood-hit areas of Kerala in the next two days, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said today.

In a late evening meeting yesterday with the representatives of leading food processing companies, Badal discussed a plan to strategise assistance to Kerala in the coming days.

"It is time to work as a cohesive unit and make a coordinated effort to help the people of Kerala, instead of separate entities making individual efforts," said the minister of food processing industries.

The companies have pledged full support to the endeavour of reaching out to the people hit by the floods, she said in a statement.

Hindustan Unilever said it has already supplied 9,500 cases of salt, 29,000 cases of wheat products, 1,000 cases of Ketchup, 250 cases of spices mix masala and other products across the state.

Nestle said it has supplied 90,000 packets of Maggi, 2,00,000 packets of Munch, 1,100 packets of coffee and UHT milk.

The company said it will supply additional 40,000 packets of Maggi, 1 lakh Munch, 1,100 packs of coffee and UHT milk will be supplied along with 30,000 packs of ready-to-drink Milo and 10,000 packs of Serigo.

ITC has promised to supply 3.30 lakh packets of biscuits, 2,000 bottles of Savlon, 3,000 packets of dairy whitener, 9,000 packets of liquid hand wash and 7,000 soaps, the statement said.

Coca Cola India has already supplied 1.4 lakh litres of packaged drinking water and the company has committed to supply additional 1 lakh litres of packaged drinking water in next two days including 20,000 bottles tomorrow.

Pepsico has promised to supply 6.78 lakh litres of packaged drinking water and 10,000 kg Quaker Oats.

Among others, Britannia has already delivered 2.10 lakh packets of biscuits (6.5 Tonnes) at Kochi and 1.25 lakh packets at Malapuram and Wayanad.

The company will deliver additional 1.25 lakh packets of biscuits in next two days, 3,000 buns and 10,000 packets of biscuits to be supplied from Madurai.

MTR Food has delivered 35,000 ready-to-eat packets to Wayanad, while Bikanervala has decided to send one tonne of namkeen in coordination with industry body CII.

Dabur has promised to deliver 30,000 to 40,000 litres tetra-packed juices and 10,000 tubes of Odomos, while GSK India will sent relief material worth Rs 10 Lakhs, 1 million packets of Horlicks and 1 million Crocin tablets.

Marico has committed to supply 30 tonnes of Oats, while Bagrrys India has promised to supply 2 tonnes of oats.

Pernard Ricord and Cargill have assured to coordinate with dairy cooperative Amul for supply of milk powder and baby foods.

Mondelez India Foods has decided to give cash contribution of Rs 10 lakh to the CM relief fund. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:33:00 PM 0

New Delhi, Aug 20: The Assam government has announced a financial aid of Rs 3 crore to Kerala, which is hit by a massive flood that has so far claimed 210 lives and caused widespread destruction.

In a statement, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the people of his state have expressed profound grief and sorrow at the unprecedented floods that hit Kerala.

"We can very well realise the pain perpetrated by the floods to the people of Kerala as the people of Assam face such kind of furry every year," he said.

In view of the catastrophic flood, the chief minister announced a financial aid of Rs 3 crore to Kerala, the statement issued here said.

"Seeing the deluge and the sufferings of the people of Kerala, the soreness of the people of Majuli, the largest river island, comes to my mind and I pledge to share the sufferings of my brother and sisters in Kerala as I do with the brothers and sisters back home in Assam," Sonowal said. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 7:10:00 PM 0

New Delhi, Aug 18: The Women and Child Development Ministry has dispatched 100 metric tonnes of ready-to-eat food packets for the flood-affected children in Kerala which is witnessing its deadliest deluge in close to a century that has claimed 194 lives, a senior official has said.

The ministry has been working with the Telangana government to get about 100 metric tonnes of supplementary nutrition 'Balamrutham' delivered to Thiruvananthapuram from Hyderabad, the official said.

'Balamrutham' is the weaning food to provide improved supplementary nutrition to children between 7 months and six years. The food is a preparation of wheat, chana dal, milk powder, oil and sugar. It is fortified and thus provides 50 per cent of iron, calcium, vitamins that children require per day.

"This (food packets) is in the form of ready-to-eat dry mixture packed in one kg packets and is suitable for children up to six years," the official said.

The relief teams from Integrated Child Development Services units of the Kerala government are already in position for immediate distribution of the food packets, the official added.

The deluge has dealt a body blow to the scenic state of Kerala, wrecking its tourism industry, destroying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure.

Kerala plunged deeper into misery with hospitals facing shortage of oxygen and fuel stations running dry.

As per information from the control room of the State Disaster Management, since August 8, 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 7:02:00 PM 0

Patna, Aug 18: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today extended a financial aid of Rs 10 crore to flood-ravaged Kerala.

Kumar said that he was deeply distressed and saddened by the tragic loss of lives and large scale damage to properties caused by the incessant rains that have been lashing the southern state for the past few days.

No one knows better than the people of Bihar about the miseries caused by natural calamities during flood. I am sending a small contribution of Rs 10 crore from Chief Ministers Relief Fund, Bihar, for relief and rehabilitation works in the flood affected areas, Kumar wrote in a letter addressed to his Kerala counterpart Pinnari Vijayan.

I believe that under your able guidance and leadership, the people of Kerala would recover soon from the losses that they have suffered. I am confident the strength and resilience of the people of Kerala will carry the state through this catastrophe, Kumar added.

In the rain-battered Kerala, a total of 194 people have lost their lives so far. (PTI)
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