The country has responded to the flood victims of Kerala with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announcing an immediate relief package of Rs 500 crore and State Governments and voluntary organisations pouring in financial assistance and relief materials to help tens of thousands of marooned and uprooted people.
While, NDRF, Army, Air Force, Navy jawans and pilots have been doing their best to rescue the flood victims, it has taken a while for the country to realise the enormity of the crisis that would require massive aid for rehabilitation of flood-battered lives.
The States have started sending relief material and financial package to the Kerala Government to help it fight the crisis.
Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) statement said.
“The Prime Minister announced a financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to the State. This is in addition to Rs 100 crore announced by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 12,” it said.
Modi saluted the people of the rain-ravaged Kerala for their “fighting spirit” and said “today the nation stands firmly with the State in this hour”.
After a high-level review meeting in Kochi, the Prime Minister made an aerial assessment of the damage caused due to floods in some of the affected areas of the southern State. He was accompanied by Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister KJ Alphons and officials during the aerial survey in the worst-hit Aluva-Thrissur regions.
Expressing grief over the unfortunate deaths and damage caused to property due to floods, the Prime Minister observed that rescue of people who are still marooned remains the topmost priority. Vijayan later tweeted that the Prime Minister has sanctioned Rs 500 crore as immediate relief.
“As per the initial estimate, the State has suffered a loss of Rs 19,512 crore. The actual loss can be ascertained after the water recedes in the affected areas. The State has sought an immediate assistance of Rs 2,000 crore,” he said.
Meanwhile, several States announce relief package for the flood-affected Kerala on Saturday. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announces Rs 15 crore from Chief Minister’s relief fund for flood-hit Kerala. Andhra Pradesh Disaster Response Department dispatched a special relief and rescue operation force to Kerala.
The force includes 74 fire personnel, one boat mechanic, one swimming instructor, and 12 motor boats.
The Maharashtra Government announced Rs 20 crore as immediate assistance and Gujarat chipped in with an aid of Rs 10 crore. Bihar (Rs 10 crore), Madhya Pradesh (Rs 10 crore), Haryana ( Rs 10 cr), Jharkhand (Rs 5 crore) were some other States which announced relief for Kerala.
The Maharashtra Government announced an immediate financial assistance of Rs 20 crore for the flood-ravaged Kerala. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, through a post on Twitter, said his Government is releasing Rs 20 crore as an immediate assistance for Kerala’s flood-affected people.
He said the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI-CREDAI) is contributing food packets worth Rs 1.5 crore, while the Rajasthani Welfare Association and the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) are donating Rs 51 lakh each for the flood-hit population. Around 11 tonne of dry food is being arranged for the flood-affected people of Kerala, of which 6 tonne would be dispatched by this evening, the Chief Minister said.
The Congress and the Aam Admi party have announced that all their legislators and MPs would donate their one month salary for the flood victims of Kerala.
Neighbouring Tamil Nadu has also stepped in efforts to help with actor Rajinikanth donating Rs 15 lakh and director Shankar granting Rs 10 lakh for the flood victims, sources said. IAS officers in the State, too, have decided to chip in by each contributing a day’s salary to the fund, a Press release from the president of the Tamil Nadu IAS Officers Association PWC Davidar said.
Senior vice-president of automobile company Hyundai Motor India Stephen Sudhakar and the south zone business head of the company YS Chang handed over a cheque for Rs 1 crore to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram.
Indian Overseas Bank said it has decided to not levy any fee for contributions made to the relief fund account, a statement from the public sector bank said.
Modi, who reached the State capital on Friday night, proceeded to Kochi in the morning and reviewed the flood situation during a meeting with Vijayan and the State Government officials. The Prime Minister’s visit comes a week after Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited the State and conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas.
Modi also assured the State Government that relief materials, including foodgrains and medicines, would be provided, as requested.
Insurance companies have been asked to hold special camps for assessment and timely release of compensation to the affected families and beneficiaries under social security schemes and directions have been issued for early clearance of claims under the Fasal Bima Yojana to agriculturists.
The Prime Minister also directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to repair the main National Highways damaged due to the floods on a priority basis.
The Central public sector undertaking like the NTPC and the PGCIl have been asked to render all possible assistance to the State Government in restoring power lines. Villagers, whose ‘kutcha’ houses have been destroyed in the devastating floods, would be provided the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin homes on a priority basis.
Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee scheme, 5.5 crore person days have been sanctioned in the labour budget 2018-19. Any further request for incurring the person days would be considered as per the requirement projected by the State.
Under the Mission for the Integrated Development of Horticulture, farmers would be provided assistance for replantation of damaged horticulture crops.
