Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday reviewed the functioning of relief camps in Chengannur, Kozhencherry, Alappuzha, North Paravur and Chalakudy.
His visit comes a day after he announced that no one needs to be rescued from any part of the State that was battered by the worst floods in nearly a century. A total of 1.2 million people affected by floods have been housed in 3,314 relief camps in Kerala, he announced on Wednesday.
Here are the updates:
Arrives in Thrissur
Mr. Vijayan, who arrives in Thrissur, is received by Agricultural Minister V.S. Sunilkumar, Education Minister C. Raveendranath and District Collector T.V. Anupama.
Mr. Vijayan, accompanied by Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan and State police chief Lokanath Behera, leaves for a relief camp at the Panampilly Memorial Government College and interacts with those lodged there. There are around 250 people in the camp.
Chalakudy is one of the worst-hit areas in the floods.
In North Paravur, Ernakulam
After visiting the relief camp at the Government Boy's HSS in North Paravur, Mr. Vijayan says the government will give priority to rebuilding the flood-hit homes. "Our focus is on rebuilding and repairing the damaged homes."
The Chief Minister is accompanied by Ministers Chandrasekharan and A.C. Moideen, MLA V.D. Satheesan, Chief Secretary Tom Jose, DGP Loknath Behra and District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla.
Mr. Vijayan visits a relief camp at St. Thomas Jacobite Syrian Church in North Paravur.
All help to clean up houses
Interacting with people at the relief camp in Lajnathul Muhammadiya Higher Secondary School in Alappuzha, Mr. Vijayan promises all help to the flood-affected people. Help will be given to clean up the houses that were submerged in floodwaters. “We will provide all help. The government will reconstruct all houses destroyed in floods,” he says.
In Chengannur
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan arrives at a flood relief camp in Chengannur on August 23, 2018.
Mr. Vijayan visits a flood relief camp at the Christian College in Chengannur.
Mr. Vijayan, who arrives in a chopper, interacts with the people staying at the relief camp. The Chief Minister, accompanied by local MLA Saji Cherian, the Revenue Minister, Alappuzha District Collector S. Suhas, District police chief S. Surendran and others, takes stock of the situation.
Mr. Vijayan will visit relief camps in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts later in the day.
Go by NDMP while deciding on ₹700 cr. UAE offer: CM
The Kerala government has asked the Centre to go by the 2016 National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) while taking a call on the UAE government’s offer of ₹700 crore in assistance.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had welcomed the UAE government making the ₹700 crore offer. It is only natural for nations to help each other. Moreover, the National Disaster Management Plan, brought out by the Central government in May 2016, does state clearly that any voluntary offer of assistance from other countries can be accepted,” Mr. Vijayan told a news conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
