Will provide all help to Kerala, says Rajnath Singh

New Delhi:  As Kerala faces heavy downpour and flash floods which has led to 22 persons being killed in the past 48 hours, Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday assured in Lok Sabha that the Centre will provide all possible help to the affected state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day spoke with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the wake of heavy rains and floods in the state, and offered all possible assistance to those affected.

“Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation arising due to floods in various parts of the state. Offered all possible assistance to those affected. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Kerala in the wake of this calamity,” Mr Modi said in a tweet.

Mr Singh said he had also sent Kiren Rijiju, his deputy in the ministry, to the state for a survey of the affected areas.

Meanwhile the Indian Air Force (IAF) has already begun helping the state in relief and rescue operations.“We will provide all necessary assistance to the state,” Mr Singh told the MPs from Kerala during the Zero Hour.

CPI(M) leader P Karunakaran said six districts in the state have been badly affected. At least 20 people have died in the Idukki district due to heavy rains and floods., while five people lost their lives in Wayanad, he said demanding military assistance.

Congress MP K C Venugopal said Wayanad district in the state has been cut off from the rest of Kerala due to landslides.

“For the first time, shutters of 22 dams were opened to release excess water while water from the Idukki reservoir was also released after 26 years, flooding the Periyar River,” Mr Venugopal said and demanded a special financial package for the state.

Kerala has been pounded due to heavy downpour, resulting in the swelling of rivers and flooding in several parts.

A defence ministry statement issued later in the day said that after the Kerala government had requested IAF to provide urgent assistance in Wayanad district, it had responded immediately to the crisis and is extending all possible assistance to the people affected by landslides and floods in Kerala through Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) missions.

Five An-32 transport aircraft were deployed to transport NDRF teams and their equipment from Arakkonam to Calicut on 09 Aug 18.

In addition, two NDRF teams from Vijaywada and two team of Army Engineering Group from Bangalore & Hyderabad have been transported to Calicut, the statement added.  

Two Mi-17 V5 helicopter and one Advance Light Helicopter (ALH) has been pressed into service for distribution of relief material and winching operations.