Kerala floods: NCMC meets again, directs mobilisation of add'l resources

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), the country's apex body to handle an emergency situation, met for the second time in two days today and directed to mobilize additional resources to all agencies who were engaged in rescue and relief operations in flood-hit Kerala.

So far, the central government has mobilized deployment of 339 motorized boats, 2,800 life jackets, 1,400 lifebuoys, 27 light towers and 1,000 raincoats, an official spokesperson said here.

Further, 72 motor boats, 5,000 life jackets, 2,000 lifebuoys, 13 light towers and 1,000 raincoats are being deployed, 1,00,000 food packets have been distributed and arrangements are being made to supply another 1,00,000 food packets. Provision has been made for the supply of milk powder as well.

The railways have provided 1,20,000 water bottles. Another 1,20,000 bottles are ready to be despatched. It is also running a special train carrying 2.9 lakh liters of drinking water that will reach Kayamkulam tomorrow.

The NCMC meeting, chaired by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, also held a video conference with the chief secretaries of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

It was decided to mobilize additional resources of all agencies including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to provide the required assistance to Kerala, the spokesperson said.

The Indian Navy has deployed 51 boats along with diving teams, 1,000 life jackets and 1,300 gumboots are being rushed to Kerala today. It flew 16 sorties in last two days in rescue operations. It will airdrop 1,600 food packets today.

The Coast Guard has deployed 30 boats along with rescue teams, 300 life jackets, seven life rafts and 144 lifebuoys.

The IAF deployed 23 helicopters and 11 transport aircraft. Some of the aircraft are being flown in from Yelahanka and Nagpur.

The Army pressed into service 10 columns, 10 Engineering Task Forces (ETFs), 60 boats and 100 life jackets.

The NDRF has mobilized 43 rescue teams and 163 boats along with other equipment.

The NCMC directed these organizations to provide boats, helicopters, life jackets, life buoys, raincoats, gumboots, inflatable tower lights etc.

The Kerala chief secretary requested for motorized boats to reach people marooned in flood-affected areas.

The cabinet secretary directed these organizations to mobilize additional boats and equipment, including from CAPFs such as CRPF, BSF, and SSB.

Use of Naval airstrip at Kochi for use by civilian airlines has been offered to the Kerala government as the civilian airport remained closed.

The Kerala government has been advised to explore the use of V-SAT communication links in areas where telephone connectivity has been disrupted.

The cabinet secretary also directed that emergency medicines may be put on standby.

The NCMC will meet again tomorrow to review the situation.

More than 100 people died in rain-related incidents in Kerala in just one day yesterday, sources in the State Disaster Management Authority said, even as defense forces scaled up operations this morning to rescue those stranded in the worst-hit areas.

The toll for yesterday, initially put at 30, has now been revised to 106, the sources said, which takes the overall fatalities to 173 since the second spell of monsoon fury unleashed itself on August 8.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kerala this evening to take stock of the flood situation there.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)