Kerala rains: Over 2100 persons moved to 105 relief camps in state

A total of 2159 persons have been rehabilitated in camps across Kerala as heavy rains battered the state consecutively for four days, stated a situation report issued at 8am on Sunday, October 17 by the Disaster Management State Control Room. In total 105 relief camps have been opened in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Pinarayi has urged people to be extremely cautious and to follow the instructions of authorities. “One team each of the National Disaster Response Force has been deployed in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram districts. In addition to this, one NDRF team will be deployed in Idukki, Kottayam, Kollam, Kannur and Palakkad districts. One team each of the Indian army has been deployed in Thiruvananthapuram and Kottayam districts while one team each of Defence Security Corps have been deployed in Kozhikode and Wayanad districts,” the CM said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government is continuously monitoring the situation in Kerala. "We are continuously monitoring the situation in parts of Kerala in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. The central government will provide all possible support to help people in need. NDRF teams have already been sent to assist the rescue operations. Praying for everyone's safety," Amit Shah tweeted.

We are continuously monitoring the situation in parts of Kerala in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. The central govt will provide all possible support to help people in need. NDRF teams have already been sent to assist the rescue operations. Praying for everyone’s safety.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 17, 2021

As many as 385 persons have been rehabilitated in ten camps in Thiruvananthapuram. The shutters of Neyyar and Aruvikkara dams in Thiruvananthapuram have been opened while a red alert has been issued for the Peppara dam, where water levels are rising.  A red alert will be announced if the water level reaches at 2,3,97.86 square feet.

In Pathanamthitta, 273 members of 75 families have been shifted to 15 camps. In Alappuzha, where a yellow warning– urging officials and the public to be on alert –  has been issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is still in place, 163 persons have been shifted to 15 rehabilitation camps. Kottayam, where a yellow warning has been issued and one of the worst-hit districts in the state, has seen 1196 persons shifted to 33 camps. In Idukki, 17 camps have been opened, while a red alert has been issued for Kundala, Kallarkutty and Lower Periyar dams. 

In Ernakulam, where rains have receded, relief camps have been opened at Kothamangalam, Aluva, Kochi and Muvattupuzha taluks, with 86 persons having been rehabilitated. Thrissur has also seen the rains recede. However, the shutters of Peechi, Chimmini, Poomala, Asurankund, Pathazhakand and Vazhani dams have been opened. In Thrissur, four members of a family are in a rehabilitation camp. In Malappuram, one rehabilitation has been opened in Tirur taluk with six members of a family having been rehabilitated. In Kozhikode, 26 persons have been shifted to two relief camps. No relief shelters have been opened in the northern districts of Kannur, Kasaragod and Wayanad districts, which have been spared by the heavy rains. 

Meanwhile, heavy rains will continue in Kottayam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts on Sunday, October 17.

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