Kerala

Kerala Floods

Tourists have been asked not to travel to Munnar, all heavy vehicles barred from plying in the region.

With authorities in Kerala set to open the last of the three shutters of the Mattupetty dam in Idukki district of Kerala, large parts of Munnar has been flooded. A major portion of the Munnar town has been inundated and all vehicular traffic has come to a standstill. While two shutters of the Cheruthoni dam in the district were closed late on Monday evening, leading to the water levels in Cheruthoni town coming down, this has not given much respite for the people of Idukki. Idukki Collector has asked tourists not to travel to Munnar until further notice. All heavy goods vehicles have also been barred from plying in the region. The controlled discharge of water from the dams combined with heavy rains in the region has lead to inundation in roads in Munnar and old Munnar town, completely cutting off access to people. On Tuesday morning, Dam Safety Authority and Kerala State Electricity Board decided to open one shutter of the of the dam by 30 cm, this after the water level reached 1599.20 feet. Alerts were issued for people living in the lower Periyar, Munnar, Muthirapuzha and Kallarkatti regions. The full capacity of the Mattupetti dam is 1599.59 meter. While one shutter was opened at 9 am, a second shutter was opened at 11 am, say reports.

Rains

Meanwhile, the CM appreciated the Centre for giving Rs 100 crore as immediate relief for the state.

TNM Staff

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday announced that the state government has decided to cancel this year’s Onam celebrations in view of the devastating floods in the state caused by incessant rains. The CM said the amount that was allocated for Onam-related programmes will now be used for flood relief activities. “The money set aside for Onam will be used for relief work. We seek everyone's help in our efforts," Vijayan told the media after a cabinet meeting. Like every other year, the state was preparing to hold week-long festivities with Thiru Onam falling on August 25. Vijayan said it was for the first time since 1924 that the state was facing a crisis of this magnitude. “This disaster comes at a time when Kerala is just recovering from the damage caused by the Ockhi cyclone,” said the CM. The CM appreciated the role of the Centre and said that the decision to release Rs 100 crore for the state was favourable. “The people who are in distress will feel confident if all of us stand together especially at a time like this,” added Vijayan. Vijayan added that he has requested the Centre to send another team to take stock of the situation in the state. Since August 8, there has been widespread destruction following incessant rains, causing rivers to overflow. The opening of shutters of 27 dams in the state has resulted in widespread damage to crops and properties. In the last one week, 38 people have died and four are missing. According to a rough estimate, more than one lakh people have been affected. Idukki and Wayanad are the worst-hit districts, while Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Ernakulam too have been badly affected. Vijayan said the Cabinet has decided to form a sub-committee to look into the swift implementation of relief and rehabilitation measures.

Rains

Several celebrities and business people have come forward to donate.

TNM Staff

Kerala has been deeply affected by the incessant rains that have been lashing across various parts of the state since the past few days. Floods and landslides have caused massive devastation across the state. Meanwhile, many of the top celebrities from Mollywood and other film industries in the south have come up with generous contributions to the Kerala Chief Minister’s relief fund (CMDRF) in the past few days. The latest to join the bandwagon is actor Mohanlal who handed over a cheque of Rs 25 lakh to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at a press meet in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. The actor, on his Facebook page, appealed to people to donate to the CMDRF and asked everyone to face the tragedy together. The relief amount will be transferred to the CM’s relief fund on Tuesday. Talking to the media outside the press club, Mohanlal said that such gestures are the need of the hour and that he will continue doing the same in the future. Tollywood actor Allu Arjun also donated Rs 25 lakh to the CM’s relief fund on Tuesday. Proclaiming his love and affection for the people of Kerala, the actor wrote on his Twitter handle that he was making a donation. People of Kerala will always occupy a special place in my heart for the unmatchable Love & Affection they shower . Their Love & the Loss is Unmatchable. But still I take the Honour to do my bit. I hereby pledge to donate 25,00,000 for the #KeralaFloodRelief . Love “M”Allu Arjun — Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) August 13, 2018 Earlier, Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan had donated Rs 25 lakh to the relief fund as had actors Suriya and Karthi. Tollywood actor Vijay Deverakonda had also contributed Rs 5 lakh to the fund. Malayalam superstar Mammootty and son Dulquer Salmaan together contributed Rs 25 lakh to the CM’s relief fund on Monday while actor Anupama Parameshwaran has contributed Rs 1 lakh. The Malayalam actors' association AMMA has already donated Rs 10 lakhs to the cause. Actors like Prithviraj, Manju Warrier, Rima Kallingal, Aju Varghese, Jayaram and Nivin Pauly have appealed to people to donate generously and pray for the ones affected by the flood. Businessmen Yousuff Ali, Azad Moopen, and Jyothi Laboratories have contributed Rs 5 crore, Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore respectively. Vijay TV channel has contributed Rs 25 lakh. Leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala and Minister Kadakampally Surendran have announced that they will donate their one month salary to the fund. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had, on August 9, announced a contribution of Rs 5 crore to rain-ravaged Kerala as a mark of support to the neighbouring state.

Education

Students say the Tehmi Grant Institute of Nursing Education misguided them that they didn’t need to clear the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test.

Saritha S Balan

As many as 25 BSc Nursing students from Kerala lost two years and were forced to join a new course as freshers, as the Tehmi Grant Institute of Nursing Education in Pune had admitted them without revealing that they were required to write the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MCET). The students had sought admission at the college in 2016 June. The authorities admitted the students after misguiding them that they didn’t need to clear MCET since they had cleared the All India Common Entrance Test. Among the 40 students in the batch who got admission to the four-year course, only 15 students had cleared MCET, of which eight were Malayalis. “The eight Malayali students who had attended and cleared MCET had the guidance of their friends or relatives who were in Pune. We and our parents were misguided,” Riya Sabu, one of the students told TNM. The students came to know about the fraudulence in August 2017 when their first year exam results were delayed. Though the University of Health Sciences, Maharashtra published the results on time, the marks for the 25 students were not announced. “Still the college authorities kept on lying, saying our results were delayed due to some technical error. Only in September were we told that the college had approached the court and that the issue was before the court. In November, the High Court rejected the college’s plea to make our admissions valid, which was approved by the Supreme Court. The college authorities then told us that they would get us admission in any of the deemed universities where MCET is not applicable and would bear the entire expenses. They informed the same to our parents as well,” Riya said. Among the 25 students, three returned to Kerala while 22 chose to stay in Pune. The college authorities kept the students and parents waiting for months and finally backed out of their promise. “In July this year our parents managed to find us admission. We, the 22 students, have been admitted in three different deemed universities,” Riya further said. The students had paid Rs 12,000 as fees for one year, of which the college has refunded Rs 8,000, as the rest was deducted as accommodation and food charges. “Earlier the college authorities had promised to get admission for us, later they said they would bear the expenses, now that they have backed out from all their promises. What we need is justice. The Commissioner of Pune, based on our complaint, has called for a mediation talk on Tuesday. If they don’t agree to bear our expenses we will approach the court. We should have been in our third year college, but we are in the first year only,” she lamented. Riya said the college had done the same to students of the 2012 batch too. “That time the protest by the students had shaken the entire state and the rule was amended for them. It was too late when we came to know that we were cheated. Initially the college authorities used to tell us that the problem was that of the government or the university. When we tried to attend MCET in 2017, the domicile certificate requirement rule stood in our way. The college authorities misguided even the university by fabricating documents to show that ours was spot admission, when in fact the admission was already over,” claimed Riya.

Rains

With this, shutters of 33 dams in Kerala have been opened. Many districts in the state have been inundated with water following heavy rains.

TNM Staff

Following the water level at the Mullaperiyar dam reaching 140 feet as against its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 142 feet, the shutters of the dam were opened further by a feet around 2.30 am on Wednesday. As a result, the flow of water from the dam has increased from 750 cumecs to 850 cumecs. The Tamil Nadu government which operates the dam had earlier announced on Tuesday that due to the increase in water level, the dam will be opened at 1.30 am on Wednesday and it had issued a second warning on Tuesday night requesting the people living along the banks of the dam to move to relief camps before 9 pm. With this, shutters of 33 dams in Kerala have been opened. Many districts in the state have been inundated with water following heavy rains and controlled discharge from dams. It has been reported that almost 4,000 people will be shifted from the banks to various relief camps in the Idukki district. Kerala Chief Secretary, Tom Jose in a press statement had said that due to the increase in the inflow of water, the Tamil Nadu Disaster Relief Commission had informed him about the need to open the dam shutters. The Chief Secretary had informed that the people living on the banks of the Periyar in the districts of Idukki, Ernakulam and Thrissur were asked to move to the relief camps at the time given by the district officials and cooperate with the officials. The Idukki District Collector on Tuesday had said in a statement, “Due to heavy rains, there has been an increase in the water levels at the Mullaperiyar dam because of which there are chances of the dam shutters to be opened.” he district of Idukki was again hit by rains after a brief calm of two days, forcing the authorities to open the shutters of the Cheruthoni dam of the Idukki reservoir. Due to the heavy rains in the northern hilly districts, several landslides and floods have been reported from districts like Wayanad, forcing thousands of people to move to relief camps.

Kerala Rains

A huge mound of earth fell on the house in Kondotty in the wee hours of Wednesday.

TNM Staff

Screengrab/ Asianet News

At least two people have died and a child is missing in Kondotty in Malappuram district, after a huge mound of earth fell on a house in the wee hours of Wednesday. The bodies of Asees and his wife Muneera were recovered in the search and rescue operation. Search is on to find the couple's 6-year-old child. Their two other children, who were sleeping in an adjacent room, escaped unhurt. Kondotty police told TNM that the incident happened at around 1 am on Wednesday morning, when the family was asleep in their home. The officials were able to first recover Muneera's body, following which, they found Asees's body. They are yet to find the 6-year-old child. The bodies of Asees and Muneera have been shifted to Medical College hospital for post-mortem. According to the police, the family lived in a hilly area, but no landslides had been reported from this area before. Post the incident, families from the neighbourhood are being shifted to relief camps. Red alert has been issued in Malappuram till August 15. The district collector has asked people not to travel to hilly areas between 7 pm and 7 am, in the wake of landslide warning. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall continues across the state. IMD has predicted heavy rains till August 18. In Ernakulam, the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has announced that all flight operations at the airport will be suspended till 2 pm on Wednesday due to heavy rains and due to opening of the dam shutters in the Periyar river. With the water level at Mullaperiyar dam reaching 140 feet as against its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 142 feet, the shutters of the dam were opened further by a feet around 2.30 am on Wednesday. As a result, the flow of water from the dam has increased from 750 cumecs to 850 cumecs.

Kerala Rains

Passengers can reach out on emergency control room numbers: 0484-3053500 and 0484-2610094.

TNM Staff

In an unprecedented situation, the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) announced on Wednesday, that all flight operations at the Kochi airport have been suspended till 2 pm on August 18. This comes after the water in Chengalthodu canal, which runs near the airport, overflowed, causing inundation of the runways. An official release from CIAL at 10.05 am on Wednesday said that all operations have been suspended "since the inflow of water is still on a rising trend.""We are looking to drain out the stormwater. All are requested to cooperate," the release said. Passengers can reach out on emergency numbers 0484 3053500 and 0484 2610094. The decision to suspend all operations till Saturday comes just hours after CIAL officials informed that operations have been suspended till 2 pm on Wednesday, due to heavy rains and due to the opening of the dam shutters in the Periyar river. As per a PTI report, an airport spokesperson said, “Operations suspended to/from Cochin International Airport till 1400 hrs... due to flood level in and around Airport.” Earlier on Wednesday, the CIAL had announced that flight operations at the airport will only be cancelled from 4 am to 7 am, but after further reviewing the condition, they reached the decision to cancel all operations till 2 pm on August 18. After a brief period of calm for two days, the district of Idukki was again hit by rains forcing the authorities to open the shutters of the Cheruthoni dam of the Idukki reservoir. Due to the heavy rains in the northern hilly districts, several landslides and floods have been reported from districts like Wayanad, forcing thousands of people to move to relief camps. The shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam in the Idukki district was opened at 2.30 am on Wednesday following the rise in water levels at the dam. By Wednesday, shutters of 33 dams in Kerala have been opened. Many districts in the state have been inundated with water following heavy rains and controlled discharge from dams. It has been reported that almost 4,000 people will be shifted from the banks to various relief camps in the Idukki district. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a press meet on Tuesday said that it was for the first time since 1924 that the state was facing a crisis of this magnitude. In the last one week, 38 people have died and four people are missing due to the heavy rains in the state. According to a rough estimate, more than one lakh people have been affected. Idukki and Wayanad are the worst-hit districts, while Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Ernakulam too, have been badly affected. Read: Couple dead, their child missing after house collapses in Malappuram rains

Kerala rains

Idukki and Wayanad are the worst-hit districts, while Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Ernakulam too have been badly affected.

TNM Staff

The state of Kerala seem to have no respite from the rains that have been causing havoc in the state over the past one week. On Wednesday, due to the increase in the water levels at the Mullaperiyar dam, the dam shutters were opened at 2.30 am. With this, shutters of 33 dams in Kerala have been opened. Many districts in the state have been inundated with water following heavy rains and controlled discharge from dams. The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) announced on Wednesday, that all flight operations at the Kochi airport have been suspended till 2 pm on August 18. This comes after the water in Chengalthodu canal, which runs near the airport, overflowed, causing inundation of the runways. Since August 8, there has been widespread destruction following incessant rains, causing rivers to overflow. The opening of shutters of 27 dams in the state has resulted in widespread damage to crops and properties. The death toll presently stands at 45, and four people are missing. According to a rough estimate, more than one lakh people have been affected. Idukki and Wayanad are the worst-hit districts, while Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Ernakulam too have been badly affected. (Note: Please wait for a few moments for the live blog to load. If you are still having trouble, try disabling your ad blocker.)

Kerala Floods

“The minus 1 floor and the car park are flooded, but the OPs are functioning as usual,” said Ashok Menon, CEO of the hospital.

Cris

Saritha S Balan

Minus 1 floor of Cosmopolitan Hospital

One floor of the Cosmopolitan Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram has been flooded due to incessant rains in the district, and several vehicles that were parked in the premises of the hospital are now under water. The management of the popular private hospital says they have made arrangements to keep it running. “This is a flash flood. It happened early in the morning. The minus 1 floor and the car park are flooded, but the OPs are functioning as usual,” said Ashok Menon, CEO of the hospital. This is the first time that the hospital – located in a prime spot in the city – has been so severely affected due to rains. The hospital is currently running on generator power. “The ACs are not working, and neither are the lifts. We have done emergency surgeries without the AC – but since AC is essential for some surgeries, we have had to postpone them,” Ashok Menon said. “All the equipment and medicines are in the upper floors so that's not affected. Dialysis is also going on as usual. But there will be some loss as an entire floor is flooded. A team has come to assess it,” he added. Photo by Saritha The reception that used to operate from the ground floor has been shifted to the emergency section on Wednesday. The outpatient units from the ground floor – Gynecology and Neurology – have been shifted to other floors as well. “Since it’s a holiday, we have a larger number of patients than usual. We have made sure that the functioning of neither the outpatient nor the inpatient units are affected,” hospital spokesperson Aneesh told TNM. Foreseeing such a situation, the hospital has been been making announcements since 12.30 am on Wednesday, asking people to shift their vehicles out of the parking area. There was a general as well as a door-to-door announcement. “We tried to wake as many people as we could, but since some of them were in deep sleep we couldn’t pass on the information,” Aneesh said. Sajith, a native of Pothencode, was in his car when the parking area got flooded. He was fast asleep sitting in the car. "At 3 am, I realised that the car was sinking. I had no clue on what to do. I drove the car with a vague idea of the path and managed to park in it on a higher area," he said. Sajith's son has been admitted in the hospital. Since only one attender is allowed in the room, he chose ro stay in the car. (All photos by Sreekesh Raveendran Nair)

Kerala Floods

Sudheeran and his family, along with the others in the Gowreesapattom area, were shifted from their homes in a boat after water rose to knee level in the area.

Korah Abraham

Former President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) VM Sudheeran and his family were rescued from their house in Gowreesapattom in Thiruvananthapuram to the government guest house, after water entered their home following heavy rains which lashed the capital city on Wednesday. Sudheeran and his family, along with the others in the Gowreesapattom area, were shifted from their homes in a boat operated by the scuba team of the fire force after water rose to knee level in the area. Speaking to Asianet News, Sudheeran said, “This is the first time that we are seeing floods of this kind in Thiruvananthapuram, ever since we moved to the city in 2005.” Former president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) , VM Sudheeran being shifted out of his home in Thiruvananthapuram to government guest house after water seeped inside his house following heavy rains.#KeralaFloods #Trivandrum #Kerala pic.twitter.com/RRL4BTQfxk — Korah Abraham (@thekorahabraham) August 15, 2018 While heavy rains lashed other districts in the state, the capital city did not report heavy rainfall over the last few days. But on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, the city experienced heavy rains, so much so that water flooded many houses, important roads and even hospitals. Water has seeped into the lowest floor of Cosmopolitan hospital, a private hospital in the Kumarapuram area of Thiruvananthapuram. Major roads in Thiruvananthapuram including the Karmana road, Attakulangara road, Kannammoola road, Kumarapuram and Pottakuzhy road have been reported to have been flooded following which traffic was disrupted in these areas. Following the heavy rains and rise in water level, the shutters of the Peppara dam, Neyyar dam and Aruvikkara dam were opened, leading to the flooding in many areas of the district. Since August 8, there has been widespread destruction in the state following incessant rains, causing rivers to overflow. The opening of shutters of 33 dams in the state has resulted in widespread damage to crops and properties. In the last one week, 45 people have died, including six people on Wednesday morning, and four are missing. According to a rough estimate, more than one lakh people have been affected. Idukki and Wayanad are the worst-hit districts, while Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Ernakulam too have been badly affected.

Kerala Rains

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has cancelled its services to Kannur, Calicut and Kasargod.

Megha Varier

A Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) inter-state bus plying between Karnataka and Kerala was stranded on a flooded road in Wayanad on Wednesday, due to the heavy rains. The bus that started service from Kozhikode to Bengaluru on Tuesday night, broke down in Sulthan Bathery, after which, the passengers were put on another bus and the journey resumed later. The KSRTC bus has been taken to the nearest depot for repair work. pic.twitter.com/MVf81ygVCx — Megha Varier (@varier_megha) August 15, 2018 Following this, KSRTC has cancelled all bus services from Bengaluru to three districts of Kerala, mainly Kannur, Kozhikode and Kasargod. However, a few morning buses from Bengaluru to Kerala have already started. Meanwhile, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has also cancelled its premium services between Bengaluru and Mangaluru. According to the KSRTC officials, premium services will not operate in Subramanya, Dharmasthala and Kundapur; only express service (Karnataka Sarige) buses via Charmadi to Mangaluru will operate. Also, KSRTC services between Karnataka and Kerala via Salem remain unaffected. As far as Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) is concerned, no services have been suspended as of now, a KSRTC official confirmed to TNM. However, the buses that started from parts of Kerala to Bengaluru last night are yet to reach its destination because of the heavy rains and flood, the official said. At least nine buses are stuck in transit in several places, including Thamarassery and Kuttiadi. "Many buses are currently stuck in blocks in Thamarassery ghat roads. Most of our buses go through Mysuru route. We are, as of now, unable to give an exact figure of the number of services affected. Nearly eight buses have just reached Payyannur; they were supposed to reach by morning," the official said. A decision is yet to be taken on whether operations between the two states should be completely suspended, the official added. Meanwhile, the rain and flood situation in Kerala worsened on Wednesday, with the red alert issued in 12 districts has been extended to all 14 districts of the state. Holiday has been declared on August 16 for all educational institutions, including professional colleges in Thrissur, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts.

Kerala Floods

Water from the Thettiyar canal, which runs in the campus, flowed into some buildings of Technopark.

TNM Staff

Visuals of floods in and around the Technopark area in Kazhakoottam, Thiruvananthapuram, have been doing the rounds since Wednesday morning. “Yes, there have been floods, but the water level is declining now,” confirms the Technopark CEO, Hrishikesh Nair. Also, many companies are not functioning today, since it is a closed holiday on account of Independence Day, he adds. Water from the Thettiyar canal within the campus has risen and flowed into the campus, says Abhilash, administrative head of Technopark, which is known as the greenest IT park in the country. “Water has reached the M Squared and Gayathri buildings, mostly in the Phase 3 campus. But the companies will not be affected since they are located on an elevated level. Besides, 90% of the companies are closed today,” he says. Chinju Ashith Krishnan, a Technopark employee, who had to work on Wednesday, says, “Barring a small amount of water in the campus, all companies are fine. There is no water in the Bhavani area of the campus." Floods in Technopark Trivandrum !!#FloodsinKerala #Kerala #Technopark #Trivandrum #floods #HeavyRainfall pic.twitter.com/pJAolQwbzS — HARISH PADMALOCHANAN (@HARISH_2011) August 15, 2018 Sajad of the Kazhakuttam police station says, “There is no risk to the employees on the campus and no companies need to be evicted. It is only the service road in Phase 3 that has been affected.” The situation is under control as of now, says Abhilash. But, it remains to be seen if the night showers will bring more water. “The water now should recede, nothing else can be done,” he says. A study conducted by the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation in 2012 says that the Thettiyar thodu (canal) running in the premises of Technopark, Kazhakuttam, is being silted up. "Protection of Tettiyar thodu will prevent flooding and waterlogging in the surroundings of the Technopark area,” the study had said. Prathidwani, a socio-cultural organisation formed by Technopark employees, had begun a campaign to clean up the canal. The rivulet had been polluted with a lot of plastic waste dumped on it over the years. The campaign was put together in association with the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.

#Keralafloods

Ten houses in the Mudumpil colony have been inundated, forcing residents to leave their homes and wait for the water to recede.

Saritha S Balan

Sobha, a woman in her 50s, was sitting in an autorickshaw when we arrived at the Mudumpil residents colony in Thiruvananthapuram. Sobha’s house is flooded following the heavy rains that have caused havoc in Kerala. Having left home in the morning, she has been sitting in the auto ever since waiting for the water to recede. The auto, owned by her husband, is parked near the main road. Hers is a seven member family, comprising her husband, children and grandchildren. The others in her family, including her grandchildren aged six and four, have taken shelter in a library nearby. “My other family members are waiting in the library,” Sobha says, pointing towards the other side of the road. What if the water does not recede by night? “We don’t know where to go. We hope that the water will recede by night,” she says hopefully. She and her family expect that the water will recede and hence are not moving to anywhere else. Ten houses in the Mudumpil colony have been flooded. The colony is located in one of the prime spots in the city and the entrance is directly from the main road. Sobha says that inundation had occurred there earlier also, but the incessant rains from last night and the floods it caused was unprecedented and scary. “We haven’t witnessed anything like this,” she says. Authorities are yet to visit the colony. “MLA K Muraleedharan had come in the morning, but he didn’t come to the most inundated parts. There is flooding during every monsoon, but the authorities turn a blind eye towards our problems,” says Sukumaran, another resident of the colony. As in other residential areas that have been flooded, leaking or overflowing of septic tanks also poses a challenge. The flood waters get mixed up with septic tank waste. “Sometimes when it floods, the water would recede soon… we would wash our houses and start our routine again, but this time it is scary,” says another resident. The colony, which comes under the Puthupally Residents Association, is located near the Government Medical College and is hardly 100 meters from the Cosmopolitan Hospital. It falls under the Medical College ward of the City Corporation. TNM had reported earlierthat the ground floor of the Cosmopolitan Hospital is also flooded. Heavy rains: KSRTC cancels bus services from Bengaluru to many parts of Kerala

Kerala Rains

The three police personnel were transporting food supplies to a wireless response centre in Wayanad.

TNM Staff

The rainfall in Kerala and the consequent floods have triggered landslides which have cut off access to many places. Armed Forces personnel, NDRF and state police and fire service personnel are on the ground, carrying out rescue operations across the state. A video has now surfaced from Wayanad showing the challenges on the grounds and the risks involved in carrying out operations. In the video, three police personnel wearing raincoats are seen standing in nearly waist-deep water of a stream. As gushing waters swirl past them, they cling on to a rope tied to a tree on either side of the bank, so as not to be carried away by the force of the waters. Braving the elements, they pass green bags of goods from one person to another. The bags reportedly contain food supplies for the personnel stationed at a wireless response centre in Wayanad. Wireless response centres are important for coordination between rescue forces during disaster. A team of personnel stays in the response centre for a week at a stretch and the food supplies help them survive for the week. Kerala has been receiving unprecedented rainfall in the past few days resulting in the opening of 33 dams across the state. This has caused deluge in low-lying areas and thousands of people have been displaced from their homes. The state government has opened hundreds of relief camps in Kerala and are monitoring the situation. Meanwhile, the rain and flood situation in Kerala worsened on Wednesday, with the red alert issued in 12 districts being extended to all 14 districts of the state. Very heavy rains have been predicted on Wednesday by the Regional Meteorological Centre and the Kochi International Airport has been closed for traffic till Saturday.

Kerala Floods

Lini died after she contracted the Nipah virus while caring for a victim, and her husband got a government job offer following the brave nurse’s death.

TNM Staff

In a kind gesture, Nurse Lini Puthussery’s husband Sajeesh, who received a government job following his wife’s death, has donated his first ever salary to the flood victims in Kerala. Lini had lost her life to the deadly Nipah virus, that she contracted while caring for the first victim of the virus. Sajeesh had joined the Public Health Centre at Kothari as a lower divisional clerk a month ago, after left his job in Bahrain and returned to Kerala to take care of his two kids. He has decided to give away his earnings to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMRDF). On Wednesday, Sajeesh met Minister for Labour and Excise TP Ramakrishnan to hand over the cheque as his contribution to the relief fund. Nurse Lini was taking care of Mohammad Sadik, one of the first victims of the virus. Lini developed a fever just days after Sadik passed away. Lini was kept in the isolation ward and buried soon after her death. Her family was not allowed to cremate her body as officials feared spread of the virus. On her last day, Lini had written a letter to her husband, Sajeesh, which read, "I think I am almost on my way; I don't think I'll be able to meet you. Please look after our children. Take them with you to the Gulf; don't be all alone like our father, please." Following Lini's death, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote on Facebook, “The loss of Lini, who had sacrificed her life for nursing a patient, is a grief for all of us. Lini’s sacrifice is incomparable. It is painful that Lini met with this tragedy while she was sincerely doing her duty. We, the people of the state, share the pain and loss of Lini’s family, friends and colleagues.” Kerala has witnessed unprecedented rainfall over the past few weeks. On Wednesday alone, 25 people died due to rain related accidents, taking the death toll to 67 since August 8. All 14 districts of the state are on Red Alert. The Kochi airport has announced that operations have been stalled until Saturday as the flood waters have entered the complex. Over 35 dams in Kerala have been opened following heavy rains. More rains have been forecast till Saturday. Several people are going back to their relief camps, including those who had returned to their homes in Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Wayanad districts.

Kerala Floods

With no help in sight, people are taking to social media to request for immediate rescue.

TNM Staff

As heavy rains continue to lash Kerala and several parts witness increasing inundation, social media platforms are flooded with SOS (save of souls) video messages from people who are forced to take refuge on the terraces and top floors of their houses. With increasing rains, flood waters have entered houses in several districts, including Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha. This has forced many residents, including children, pregnant women and the elderly, to shift to the top floors and terraces of their houses. Many have been stranded there for a few days now without food, water, electricity and barely any charge left on their cell phones. As calls to control rooms go unanswered, people continue to wait for the rescue operation teams to provide them with boat or airlift services and relocate them to a safer place. In one video, a man from Chengannur can be heard asking for immediate help. “Dear people, we are stranded in a two-storey house near KTDC Sarathy Hotel. People in several houses here too are stranded. Since last evening, we are told that the Navy will come to our rescue; but, until now, nobody has come to our rescue. We probably have only one hour to be rescued or live, as the flood water has reached the first storey. We do not have one more level to take refuge. Please share this video and get it to the attention of the officials concerned.” (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v3.1'; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Posted by Teena Thomas on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 In another video, a woman is seen requesting officials to rescue her family from her house near Malakkara on Chengannur-Kozhenchery route. “Since last night, we have been marooned here on the first floor, alone, with no food and electricity. In a few hours, water levels will come up to the first floor. I request the officials to get us out of here,” she said. Unfortunately, with relief camps, too, being innundated, video messages requesting for help are also pouring in from there as well.

Kerala Floods

A joint collaboration of Kerala IT Mission and the IEEE, the project helps provide not just the materials required but also services, like that of a doctor or a plumber or a mechanic.

Cris

At 6 in the evening, on Independence Day, the office is nearly deserted. The Kerala IT Mission office in Thiruvananthapuram looks dark and gloomy, like the rest of the state, shocked and hurt by the havoc caused by the rain. The security guard, who talks about the floods reaching his neighbourhood in Neyyar, goes into the office to check if someone can talk. The director is inside and he shows no signs of leaving work any time soon. Sambasiva and his team have been collaborating with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to put up a website to reach out to the victims with help in kind –KeralaRescue.in. The site was put up on Tuesday morning and by Wednesday evening, at the time we talk, there were 8,030 volunteers who registered; 402 others expressing willingness to contribute and there were requests coming from 402 people in distress. It is all in kind, not money. So, it is not just the materials required that are provided but also services, like that of a doctor or a plumber or a mechanic; and cooking and cleaning as well. “It is an open collaboration platform. We had to bring up a portal in a short time. People from IEEE have come forward to collaborate with us,” says Sambasiva. “Basically, it is a communication platform between victims, volunteers and contributors, and administration. We have the admin system. There are project managers in every district working with their teams on the requests that come on the site. We have student volunteers of IEEE. Anyone can join as a volunteer. The admins have put up the requirements. People – the victims – could also add their requirements. Information will be given by admins to volunteers, who go and collect the materials from contributors and give to a common collection centre,” he explains. Muraleedharan, head of the state e-governance mission team, says: “It is to connect people, to get requests from various locations, get a list of volunteers, and to supply the requirements. The requirements keep changing continuously. We have our points of contact in every district. “ Sahil, the state coordinator of IEEE, says that the idea is to consolidate all the requirements at one place and also to encourage contributions to come directly from the public. “There are district project managers and their teams managing the requests coming on the website. But now the situation is so bad there are so many requests coming. These requests are available on the website for anyone to see. So the public could directly reach out to the people in distress.” Sambasiva hopes to develop the platform in the coming days to facilitate contributions to provide shelters to those returning homes from relief camps. “In Kerala, I have observed there is a culture of neighbours providing shelters at times of distress,” he says. The platform could have a section for people willing to provide them when it is time for the victims to leave relief camps.

Kerala floods

A red alert has been issued in all the 14 districts of the state.

TNM Staff

There is no respite for the people of Kerala from the incessant rains, and lakhs of people are in relief camps across all districts in the state. Rescue operations are being conducted by the NDRF, army, navy and the coast guard on a war footing. On Thursday morning, officials from Pathanamthitta have said that the water levels in certain areas have subsided but thousands are still stranded in their homes especially in the Ranni area where houses have been flooded up to the second floor, forcing the people to stay on the terraces. With water levels of the Periyar near the Railway bridge close to Aluva rising dangerously, all train services have been temporarily suspended along the Ernakulam-Alappuzha route. Trains that were on their way to Palakkad have been cut short. Metro services in Kochi have also been temporarily suspended. Train services from Aluva-Angamaly have been temporarily stopped due to the rains. Water levels at the Aluva railway bridge have been increasing. Trains have been delayed due to the landslide at Vallathol Nagar in Vadakkanchery. Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday told the press that the death toll over the last one week has risen to 67, with 25 people reported dead on Wednesday alone. On Thursday, 46 people had lost their lived as per official figures, by 5pm. "The situation is grave, the rain is expected to continue. I spoke to the Prime Minister and President. I also asked the Prime Minister to speak to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister about bringing down the water level in Mullaperiyar dam,” the CM said. A red alert has been issued in all the 14 districts of the state. (Note: Please wait for a few moments for the live blog to load. If you are still having trouble, try disabling your ad blocker.)

Body 2:

Kerala Floods

Around 200 patients and staff members are yet to be evacuated.

Shiba Kurian

Kozhencherry Muthoot Hospital on College Road in Pathanamthitta district has been badly affected by the floods and is inundated with water. The flood water has reached the first floor and is continuing to rise to the second floor, said employees of the hospital, who spoke to TNM. While most of the ICU patients have been shifted to other hospitals, around 200 people, including the staff members of the hospital and the remaining patients, are being shifted to Muthoot’s orphanage here. “Rescue teams operations are developing in a phased manner. Around 200 patients are yet to be moved out. While a 15-member capacity boat has arrived, only four to five patients are being taken at a time due to the turbidity of the water,” says Shyna, a nurse at the hospital. According to Shyna, water entered the hospital on Wednesday morning and has been increasing since. “The water is so high that one will start floating,” she describes. Since Wednesday afternoon, the hospital lost its electricity supply. “We have been using candles, but providing any service is becoming difficult,” she said. The hospital does not have sufficient food and water supply as well. The hospital has also run out of oxygen for the stranded patients on ventilators and others. The reception, pharmacy, X-Ray, MRA and CT labs were located on the ground floor. While all these departments have been closed, the pharmacy has been relocated to the second floor temporarily.

Kerala Floods

The relief camp – a school – is also housing 48 people from Killipalam whose houses were flooded.

Cris

Sreekesh Raveendran Nair

Twenty men rescued from a seminary in Ranni, Pathanamthitta, have been housed in a relief camp in Chalai Model Higher Secondary School for Boys, in Thiruvananthapuram. A helicopter deployed by the Indian Navy had taken the students of the seminary along with a couple of teachers from the upper floor of the seminary, where they had been stranded since Wednesday. “The ground floor was entirely flooded and we were trapped on the upper floor. We called the police by afternoon. But they could not reach us immediately. However, a helicopter reached us early morning on Thursday and brought us to the Thiruvananthapuram airport. From there we came to the Chalai school,” says Anil, a student of the seminary who was rescued. Among the 20 saved, six are Malayalis. The rest are from Odisha, Mumbai and Bengaluru. “But there are still four more students from the seminary stuck in a building opposite the seminary. The helicopter could not reach them,” Anil adds. Revenue officials are taking care of the men, providing them with food and other basic needs. “There are also people from Thiruvananthapuram, who are being rehabilitated here, as their houses are flooded,” says Baburaj, a revenue official. Around 48 people are on the other end of the school, in a classroom, sitting with their families that include little children. “We are all from the Killipalam area. All our houses are flooded. This has happened once before – about four to five years ago – again because of heavy rain,” says Usha, who was one of the first to seek help. “I have a child who is unwell, so the first thing we did was to take him to my sister’s.” The flooding began on Wednesday morning and the police reached them by evening. “However, the counsellor was very indifferent, came only in the evening when the water had receded a little. And asked us to call them if needed,” says one of the younger women at the camp. Shashi, an older man at the camp, says that party people – CPI (M) workers - had also visited them to help. “But all our belongings are left behind, in those floods,” says Sudha, another woman. The rescue team has provided them with the basic necessities – food and bed sheets – says Vinod Kumar, Thycaud village officer. “We don’t know how long the relief camps will need to accommodate them. The situation will get worse if the Peppara dam too has to be opened,” he adds.

Munnar cut off as shutters of Mattupetty dam lifted, tourists told to stay away

Kerala govt cancels Onam festivities in state, money to be used for relief work

Mohanlal, Allu Arjun donate Rs 25 lakh each to Kerala CM's relief fund

25 Kerala students lose 2 yrs as Pune nursing college allegedly lied during admission

Mullaperiyar Dam shutters opened following rise in water level

Couple dead, their child missing after house collapses in Malappuram rains

Kochi airport suspends operations till August 18: Everything you need to know

Kerala floods live updates: 33 dams opened, death toll rises to 45

One floor of Tvm Cosmopolitan Hospital inundated, several vehicles under water

Congress leader VM Sudheeran and family rescued by boat after house floods

Heavy rains: KSRTC cancels bus services from Bengaluru to many parts of Kerala

Minor floods in Thiruvananthapuram Technopark, but companies are safe

Homes flooded, residents of this Tvm colony wait in autorickshaws for water to recede

Watch: How Kerala cops brave gushing waters to transport food supplies to others

Nurse Lini’s husband donates first salary to Kerala flood victims

SOS videos flood Internet as people in Kerala try to reach out for help

Want to help Kerala's flood victims? Check out Keralarescue.in

Live updates: All districts of Kerala flooded, rescue operations underway

Pathanamthitta hospital flooded, no food, water or oxygen for stranded patients

Ground report: 20 men from Ranni seminary rescued, now in Tvm relief camp