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Red alerts in place for Kannur, Wayanad and Kasaragod districts.

Diminished rainfall offered some respite to central Kerala districts on Saturday, but the overall situation - in north Kerala especially - continued to be grim, prompting government agencies to maintain high alert levels.

The death toll in rain-related calamities climbed to 60. Today, red alerts are in place for Kannur, Wayanad and Kasaragod districts. Red alert warnings for Kozhikode and Malappuram have been changed to orange.
5.00 pm
10-12 feet of debris at the landslide site

Kalpetta: The intensity of rain has dipped slightly in many parts of the district. Flooding in many low laying  areas, especially on the banks of the Kabani river and its tributaries, however, remain unabated.

As many as 10 bodies have been recovered so far.

’The height of debris deposited at the landslide site is almost 10 to 12 feet,’ Wayanad Sub Collector NSK Umesh said.

More than 2000 persons have been evacuated from Elavayal, Mundakkai, Churalmala region and shifted to Various relief camps near Meppadi  in the district.

Rahul Gandhi visits Kavalappara near Nilambur

After arriving at the Karipur airport (Kozhikode International Airport) on Sunday afternoon, Rahul Gandhi proceeded to Kavalappara in Pothukal village near Nilambur, where more than 50 persons of 18 families are feared trapped under the debris of a massive landslide. Mr. Gandhi is to proceed to Mampad after taking stock of the situation in Kavalappara.

Rahul Gandhi arrives at Kozhikode airport

Kozhikode: Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi has arrived at the Kozhikode International Airport in Malappuram district. He is accompanied by Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal. Mr. Gandhi is scheduled to visit the landslip-hit and rain-devastated places in Malappuram and Wayanad districts on Sunday and Monday.

The worst-affected areas in both districts fall in his Wayanad parliamentary constituency.

The meteorology department has changed red alert warnings for Kozhikode and Malappuram to orange.

Railways waive freight charges for relief materials

The Indian Railways has announced waiver of freight charges for transportation of relief materials to Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala, which have been badly hit by floods.

Relief materials for these States can be booked on goods train and parcel vans by all government organisations across the country free of cost, Deputy Director (Traffic Commercial) of the Railway Board Mahendar Singh said.

“All the government organisations across the country can book relief material free of cost to Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra as of now. Other organisations, as deemed fit by the divisional Railway manager, may also avail of this provision,” he said in a letter to all Railway general managers.

However, it may be ensured that consignor or consignee was the District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner in whose jurisdiction the dispatching or receiving station was located, he said in the letter.

- PTI

Do not be misled by propaganda against CMDRF: CM Vijayan

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged the public not to be misled by propaganda being spread on social media against the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).

Talking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Vijayan termed baseless the allegations that the funds collected for flood relief in 2018 had been diverted. People outside the State are also involved in spreading fake news against the relief effort, he said.

’’The government views it as a heinous crime against the State and the people,’’ he said, stating that the government views such incidents seriously.

’’Only anti-socials can do such a thing,’’ he added.

Kerala flood toll touches 60, heavy rain likely for two more days

The toll in rain-related incidents in Kerala climbed to 60 by Sunday morning, even as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned that heavy rain was likely to continue for two more days.

As many as 2,27,333 people (65,548 families) had been evacuated to 1,551 camps so far, he said after convening a high-level meeting at the State Emergency Operations Centre here.

“Weather updates show heavy rain could persist for two more days in the State. So we should continue to maintain high alert,’’ he said. On Sunday, red alerts were in place for Kannur, Wayanad and Kasaragod districts.

With rainfall diminishing in intensity, rescue operations have resumed in the landslip-hit Kavalappara in Malappuram and Meppadi in Wayanad. “The intensity of the rainfall has decreased in Malappuram. But the rescue effort is hampered by soil deposits that are 10 to 12 feet thick,’’ he said.

Kochi airport reopens, operations resume smoothly

An Air Indigo flight from Abu Dhabi touched down at the Kochi airport a little after 12.15 p.m. on Sunday, marking the resumption of operations at the airport after it was shut down two days ago due to heavy rains.

The airport authority had announced that operations would resume three hours ahead of the schedule announced earlier.

Cochin International Airport on Sunday, August 11.   | Photo Credit: Indian Navy

“Airport is ready. Flight operations will resume at noon tomorrow. That is ahead of deadline. Airlines are instructed to facilitate services accordingly,” the Cochin International Airport Limited spokesperson told reporters.

There are no hitches in the operations so far.

Kerala landslip: body of child found in Malappuram district

Search and rescue operations have been resumed with the support of a 30-member Army team at Kavalappara in Kerala’s Malappuram district, where over 40 persons went missing following Thursday’s landslide. They have managed to recover two bodies, including that of a child, from the muddy landslip spot. With this, the total number of bodies recovered from the spot reached 11.

The bodies of a woman and her daughter-in-law who had been missing after a landslide at Kottakkunnu in Malappuram town two days ago retrieved on Sunday.   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A 50-member National Disaster Response (NDRF) team too is working at the spot now.

Revenue Department officials said the search was on to find out 56 missing persons. Malappuram District Collector Amit Meena has reached the spot to coordinate the search operations.

Power and water supply hit in Kerala

Power and water supply in the flood-hit districts have taken a massive hit even as repairs are being carried out on a war footing wherever possible.

Nearly 200 of the 1,081 water supply schemes operated by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) have been disrupted.

Restoration cost

A preliminary estimation by the KSEB pegged the cost of restoring the network to its previous state at ₹133.47 crore.

With the power sector hit, daily consumption nosedived to 41.42 million units (August 9). The average daily power consumption in the State normally hovers around the 60-62 million unit mark.

Within a year, Kerala’s economy gets a second jolt

Floods that have caused extensive damage in the State are feared to debilitate the economy and may prompt the government to either cut its Plan size or tweak projects to tackle the exigency.

The State has been weathering a grave financial crisis and the tax collection, lurking at an average 14%, was expected to pick up in the coming months.