Kerala rain toll rises to 15; CM announces relief, warns against dam rumours

The death toll due to flooding and landslides amid heavy rains in Kerala rose to 15 with seven people missing to date Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on MondayThe Chief Minister announced Rs 10000 as funeral expenses for those who died in the rainrelated incidents and directed the Agriculture Department to submit a proposal to revise the compensation for the damage to the agricultural landAddressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram after a meeting with all district collectors Satheesan noted that about 165 hectares of agricultural land have been damaged affecting 3596 farmersAs of 9 am 11018 people are staying in 316 relief camps across the state So far 15 deaths have been reported Two people died in the Poonjar constituency in Kottayam while a child died after falling into a tank at Puthuppally Two deaths were reported from Idukki and one each from Vizhinjam and Muthalapozhi One person is missing each from Vizhinjam and Muthalapozhi In Malappuram four people have died and one person is missing In Kannur one person has died and two are missing while one death has been reported from Kozhikode So far 15 deaths have been reported across the state while seven people are still missing Satheesan saidFurther the chief minister refuted the claims that a significant amount of water was being released from the dams leading to flash floodsHe said A number of rumours are being circulated widely the most prominent being claims that water is being released from dams There is absolutely no need for people to panic Water levels in the major reservoirs are well below their capacity False information is being circulated not only on social media but through other platforms as wellThe current storage levels are 3891per cent in Idukki 4664per cent in Idamalayar 529 per cent in Banasura Sagar 4482 per cent in Kakki 45 per cent in Kallada 35 per cent in Malampuzha and 34 per cent in Peechi The widespread claim that water is being released from the reservoirs is false Strict action will be taken against those spreading such misinformation as these false reports can create unnecessary panic among the public the CM saidAnnouncing the financial assistance he added Special measures have been taken to closely monitor areas that are vulnerable to sea erosion An amount of Rs 10000 has been sanctioned for the funeral expenses of those who died in the rainrelated incidentsFor people returning home from relief camps whose houses have been flooded arrangements have been made to provide Rs 10000 each directly to them as immediate assistance The existing compensation for crop damage is very low For instance if paddy cultivation is destroyed on around 25 acres the compensation is only Rs 13500 The Agriculture Department has been asked to submit a proposal to revise the compensation The government has decided to increase the compensation for those who have suffered crop losses and the matter will be taken up in the next Cabinet meeting he saidAccording to the preliminary report around 165 hectares of agricultural land have been damaged affecting 3596 farmers The number could increase slightly once the final assessment is completed he addedSatheesan said that teams of National Disaster Response Force NDRF and security forces have been deployed in Pathanamthitta Kottayam and other parts of the state reeling with flooding and landslides amid heavy rainfallThe Chief Minister said An NDRF team has been deployed to Pathanamthitta while two teams are currently stationed in Kottayam Two additional NDRF teams have been sought from Arakkonam and they can be dispatched whenever required Helicopters have also arrived Instructions have been given to deploy ITBP personnel in Alappuzha if necessary Similarly Defence Security Corps personnel have been directed to be deployed in Kannur and Wayanad if requiredSatheeshan said An emergency meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority the concerned ministers district collectors and officials was held this morning to review the situation arising from the monsoonrelated disruptions The situation is under control in all districts according to the reports receivedIn Pathanamthitta water has not receded completely in some areas but the situation elsewhere remains under controlFourteen fishing boats from Kollam have been brought to Pathanamthitta for rescue operations if required Two helicopters from Shirur have reached Thiruvananthapuram and an NDRF team has also been deployed The necessary police and fire and rescue services are in place Food packets have also been prepared for distribution including through helicopters if required Adequate preparations have been made across the state he saidState Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph said that 92 per cent of damaged electricity connections have been restored480614 electricity connections were damaged Of these 92 per cent were restored within a short time Only 35118 are left the minister said2892 transformers were damaged Of these 2600 have been repaired and charged after the water receded 1872 electricity poles were damaged These are being restored at a rapid paceThe worst damage to the electricity sector was in Pathanamthitta district followed by Kannur In Kannur the damage was more severe in the areas from Cherupuzha under the Srikanthapuram circle and the hilly areas in the Iritty circle Steps to resolve these are progressing rapidly Sunny Joseph saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever