Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the Central government is continuously monitoring the situation in Kerala and will provide all possible help to people in the state that has been hit by heavy rainfall.
He also said that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have already been sent to assist the rescue operations.
Taking to Twitter, Amit Shah said: "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."
Three more bodies were recovered from Koottikkal in Kerala's Kottayam district on Sunday due to landslides triggered by heavy rainfall, which has pushed the death toll in the state to nine.
The Army, NDRF, police and the Fire Force along with the locals began rescue operations on Sunday morning at Koottickal and Kokkayar panchayats where over a dozen people are listed to be missing due to numerous landslides accompanied by heavy downpour since Saturday.
In view of the red alert for rainfall and possible flooding and waterlogging in several districts of Kerala, a total of 11 teams of the National Disaster Relief Teams (NDRF) have been deployed to the state in coordination with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA).
Although the fury of rains have subsided, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authorities (KSDMA) said a trough of low at mean sea level now lies over Southeast adjoining East central Arabian Sea off north Kerala-Karnataka coasts and predicted possibility of light to moderate rainfall at many places with only isolated heavy rainfall over the state during next 24 hours and further decrease thereafter.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a Facebook post said relief camps have been opened in the disaster-struck regions. He directed the authorities concerned to ensure that the camps are functioning adhering to COVID-19 health protocols.
"Those in the camps should ensure the use of masks and that social distancing is maintained. Authorities should calculate the maximum number of people who can be accommodated in the camps. The district authorities can increase the number of camps in case more people are required to be accommodated," Vijayan said.
The high ranges of central and south Kerala have experienced almost similar to that of the situation the state faced during the time of devastating floods of 2018 and 2019.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
