Kerala floods latest updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram. He will stay overnight at the Kerala Raj Bhawan and will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-hit state on Saturday morning.

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Narendra Modi will reach Kochi on Friday after attending the funeral of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He will take an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas on Saturday morning, PTI reported.

The Kerala government described the rumours of Mullaperiyar dam developing cracks as "completely baseless" rumours​ being spread on social media. "This rumour is completely baseless and the dam has not developed any cracks as alleged. These rumours are creating unnecessary panic among people living in downstream in the Periyar catchment," Water Resources secretary Tinku Biswal said. In a letter to DGP Loknath Behara, she wrote that she wanted the Cyber cell to trace the source of the rumours and take immediate action against them, PTI reported.

The long distance trains cancelled included Train No 12202 Kochuveli Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Garib Rath Express), Train No 12617 Ernakulam Harzrath Nizamuddin (Mangala Lakshadweep SF Express). "Railway officials are deployed round the clock at all sections to monitor the impact of flood on railway tracks, bridges and railway premises. Officials are also closely monitoring the situation from divisional and headquarters control offices," the release said.

More than 25 trains were cancelled or rescheduled in Kerala on thursday in view of the unprecedented floods and landslides in the state, the Southern Railway said. Railway officials were closely monitoring the impact of flood on railway tracks, bridges and premises and in various sensitive locations, trains were being run at restricted speeds ranging from 10 kmph to 45 kmph, it said in a release here.

Under instructions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Defence Ministry rushed in fresh teams of the three wings of military for relief and rescue operations in the state where over 1.5 lakh homeless and displaced people are taking shelter in relief camps. All but one of the state's 14 districts are on high alert, sources said. Twelve additional teams of of the National Disaster Response Force comprising about 540 personnel were also rushed to Kerala.

Altogether 97 people have died till now in rain-related incidents in flood-hit Kerala. Battling savage weather conditions, the Indian navy began airlifting marooned people in Trichur, Aluva and Muvattupuzha. Dramatic videos showed people stranded atop flooded homes and hills being winched up by Navy choppers.

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), the country's apex body for handling emergency situations, met in New Delhi to take stock of the rapidly deteriorating situation caused by the worst floods the state has witnessed in close to a century. The meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha​ was attended by chiefs of the three services, secretaries of home, defence and other top officials, PTI reported. Taking note of the gravity of the situation, the Supreme Court ordered the disaster management panel of the Mullaperiyar Dam to urgently decide on lowering the water level by three ft to 139 ft.

Thousands of people are stranded in flood-hit areas in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Alappuzha districts are waiting for rescue teams to save their lives. Most of the people are trapped on the roof tops and upper floors of houses, apartments and hospitals for two to three days without drinking water, food and medicines. They include a large number of sick and aged people, pregnant women and children. The stranded people are unable to convey their plight to emergency responders as their mobile phones do not have charge. Many of them had communicated their location earlier. Officials at the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said that the rescue team will proceed to rescue them according to the location shared earlier.

The Kochi International Airport on Thursday extended the suspension of all services up to 2 pm on 26 August, with large parts of the facility flooded. "Kochi Airport operations is temporarily suspended up to 2 pm on 26 August due to very high flood situation and key essential facilities like runway, taxiway and apron are under submerged condition," an airport statement said.

Newborn babies and patients in intensive care units of private hospitals in Aluva town of Ernakulam district were evacuated and shifted to facilities elsewhere. According to some reports, around 200 patients were stranded at a hospital in Muvattupuzha after rain water swamped the building, PTI reported.

"Given the urgency, party members, sympathisers and the general public are requested to rush their individual contributions either through drafts/cheques drawn in favour of the party or send it directly to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund," the CPM said in a statement

In many places in rain-battered Kerala, families trapped in high rise flats, students stranded in hostels and devotees in churches are using social media platforms to seek help and pass on information about their location. Videos of people pleading for help with folded hands, are being posted and shared by hundreds of people on WhatsApp groups since last night. Panic-struck relatives are also sharing the location of their near and dear ones trapped in various places using Google maps, PTI reported.

Fisher folks from Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram have joined the Army and state police in rescuing people stranded in Pathanamthitta district following floods in Pampa river and its tributaries. About 130 fishermen who knows swimming have been pressed into action by the Trivandrum Latin Church diocese. The fishermen have arrived in Pathanamthitta with 50 fishing boats.

The Indian Army, state police and local rescue groups are engaged in rescue operations at Pathanamthitta, Ranni and Chenganoor localities which are submerged in flood waters. More men, including special forces with diving and rescue equipment and helicopters, are being deployed as calls for rescue have been pouring in from various parts of the districts.

Water level in the Chalakudy river in Thrissur has risen on Friday confounding the woes of thousands of people stranded in the Chalakudy town and surrounding areas. Most of the people are stranded for more than two days as rescue teams have not been able to reach them as the town is fully submerged. Over 1,500 people stranded on the roof top of a Christian retreat centre at Muringoor are in panic as the water has risen up to the third floor.

The govt has issued an advisory warning for the Cauvery river as it prepares to release more water from the Kabani and Krishna Raja Sagara Dam into the river and its tributaries. More than 2.1 lakh cusecs of water is expected to reach Mettur Dam in Tamil Nadu.

In a huge relief to the people on the banks of Periyar River, the government has decided not to release further water from Idukki dam. Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) officials said that the decision was taken as the water from the river had flooded all residential areas, including the densely populated Aluva. Though the water in the Idukki reservoir is hovering around the maximum storage capacity of 24,003 feet, the KSEB is planning to hold the water till 2,408 feet. The officials said that the present level of discharge will be continued until people in the affected areas are rescued.

Complete breakdown of communication networks has made the rescue relief coordination difficult. Even though the air force rescue operation has started, none of the control rooms in the districts could be reached as phones are discharged, The Indian Express reported .

"Have been receiving updates about areas affected badly by floods in Kerala. Taking all measures to help those stranded by floods and contributing Rs 5 cr for relief work. Help the victims and donate to Kerala's Distress Relief Fund," the Andhra Pradesh chief minister tweeted.

"Had a telephone conversation with Kerala chief minister P Vijayan just now.We discussed flood situation across the state and reviewed rescue operations. Later this evening, I will be heading to Kerala to take stock of the unfortunate situation due to flooding," Narendra Modi tweeted.

The spiritual guru said that his organisation the Art of Living will do all possible help to aid in rescue work in the flood-hit state.

Railways has cancelled services from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam via Kottayam and Ernakulam to Palakkad via Shornur till 4 pm on Friday in view of the continuation of heavy rains and floods. Bookings have been suspended in Thiruvananthapuram Central station. The running of many trains coming to Kerala from various parts of the country has been regulated. The Hubli-Kochuveli Express will run only up to Thrissur whereas, the Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram Superfast Express and the Karackal-Ernakulam Express have been suspended at Palakkad junction.

Hundreds of messages pleading for help to rescue people stranded in flood-hit areas are flooding the WhatsApp media groups of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA). The messages are coming mostly from Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts, where thousands of people are marooned in the floods. KSDMA secretary Shekhar Kuriakose said that they have made arrangement to compile them and pass on to the emergency response team.

There is some temporary respite from the rains in the Aluva region. Children and women were seen coming out of troubled areas on boats with relieved faces as they got water and food for the first time in over 24 hours.

Mata Amritanandamayi Devi has announced that her organisation will donate Rs 10 crores to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. "My heart goes out to those families who are losing their homes and dear ones. We want to help them in whatever way we can," the spiritual leader said.

Red alert has been issued in all 13 districts except Kasaragod for Friday. Red alert has been issued for Saturday also in Ernakulam and Idukki districts, ANI reported.

The Kodagu-Mangalore highway is blocked in Makanur area due to multiple landslides triggered by heavy incessant rainfall in the region. Locals say "it is not possible to move as people are stuck in their houses", ANI reported.

Water levels across the district haven't stopped rising and the submergence in the eastern part is very high. Locals, police and fire department are looking for people street by street.

Land slides continue in Kalikavu, Karulayi and Nilambur regions due to which submerged areas in and around the areas are inaccessible. A car drowned on Thursday night, when it tried to forcefully pass through NH 213. However, the occupants of the car were rescued.

BSNL Kerala has announced unlimited free calls for seven days from Friday in Kerala's four rain affected districts - Waynadu, Idukki, Alleppey and Pathanamthitta. This includes unlimited SMS and 20 minutes of free calling to non-BSNL numbers everyday.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted that she talked to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan over phone and that he requested her for more helicopters. She said that she has instructed the Vice Chief of Air Staff to provide the required assistance.

Nirmala Sitharaman talks to Pinarayi Vijayan, orders for more air force helicopters to be sent for rescue and relief work in Kerala

Alappuzha district may face flooding now as water has recedes from Pathanamthitta to Alappuzha district enroute to the Arabian Sea. Kuttanad region is currently submerged.

A nine-day-old baby and her mother are stranded near Pandanad village office in Chengannur district. they can be reached out on these phone numbers: +91-9745489684, +91-9562891837

"Sir I am Surendran, Puthuparampil, Valanjavattom, ward number 10 Thiruvalla Kadapra village. Stranded at second floor. Only boat can reach here. Kindly inform Thiruvalla Tehsildar. Since phone battery is weak, I can't use WhatsApp", read the SOS message from the stranded man.

NH 47 between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram will be blocked on Friday for sometime as Thottapally spillway shutters will be opened at 11 am. This is to ensure that area is cleared for water from the spillway to flow out into the Arabian Sea.

The district administration has appointed officers to shelter homes. District minister Sa Ra Mahesh is camping in district monitoring rescue operations centre. Meanwhile, the road connecting Gonikoppa to Kutta has been blocked.

Similarly, the husband of Lini Puthuserry, a nurse who died after treating Nipah virus patients, has donated his first month’s salary from the job offered to him by the state government. The husband, Sajeesh, handed over the amount to the Kerala labour and excise minister TP Ramakrishnan in an event held at Vadakara Perambra in the Kozhikode district.

Kerala student, Hanan Hamid, who became a victim of cyber bullying after her video selling fish in college uniform went viral, has donated Rs 1.5 lakh to Kerala Chief Minister’s Relief fund. Hanan said this was the amount she had received in donations from people after her story went viral. She said that she was giving the entire donation with love to the people who have lost everything in the flood.

A SOS message has come from P.Kuruvilla (Kunjutty) of Pulimoottil House which is next to the Thalavady Anaprambal South UP School in Alappuzha district. Six people are stranded and two of them are old. There is a 92-year-old partially paralysed man and his sick wife and four other women who are stranded. They can be reached at: +91 9961388619.

However, many rescue team members said that they were unable to rescue people even after they had reached near their houses due to huge compound walls and heavy inflow of water, The Indian Express reported .

The death toll in the Kerala deluge is likely to go up as hundreds of people stranded in flooded areas, especially in and around Aluva and Pathanamthitta-Chengannur, would be now rescued as multiple sources on the ground reported a slight reduction in the water level in Ranni and Pathanamthitta areas.

Clear skies were seen in Kochi for the first time in 72 hours, but IMD has predicted heavy rain in the city and the Ernakulam district on Friday and Saturday, The Indian Express reported .

On Thursday, the Supreme Court had directed the sub-committee constituted under Section 9 of the Disaster Management Act to meet with representatives of Kerala and Tamil Nadu to chalk out ways to reduce the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam to 139 ft, The Indian Express reported.

The Supreme Court said it will hear the Kerala floods matter before noon on Friday as the court has declared a half-day holiday after 1 pm to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's demise.

The shutters of the Thottapally spillway have been opened in the Alappuzha district. The traffic along NH 47 between Alapuzha and Thiruvananthapuram has been suspended for next three hours as water will flow over the highway.

"Total 11 helicopters have been deployed to rescue stranded people across Kerala, especially in areas. We have appealed to Centre to provide more choppers for rescue operation. We haven't been able to deploy more boats in Chengannur, Chalakudy and Aluva. We have received over 140 boats this morning. There are some areas which are high and people can only be rescued by helicopters. Total 16 units of Army deployed across the state."

17 people stranded in Chengannur were airlifted on Friday morning. Alapuzha is most likely to face flooding now as water has started receding from Pathanamthitta to Alapuzha district enroute to the Arabian Sea. Kuttanad region is now submerged.

Addressing the media, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that since 8 August, at least 164 people have died due to flooding and landslides. Pinarayi Vijayan addressed the media and said that since 8 August at least 164 people have died due to flooding and landslides. "At least, 4,000 people have been rescued by NDRF till now. A total of 70 people have been airlifted from various parts of the city and 1,568 relief camps have opened up in the state," Vijayan said.

At least, 1,000 people got trapped due to overflow of the river Meenachil in Kottayam district. Around 100 people rescued so far.They have been shifted to relief camp of Sh Mount school and Government model school.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought more central forces to assist the state government in the rescue operations. According to him, 16 teams of Army, 13 teams of Navy, 10 teams of Air Force and 39 teams of NDRF are now engaged in the operations. The NDRF has so far rescued 4,000 people and Navy 550.

All roads from Karnataka are open. There had been inundation on NH 766 at Ponkuzhi but it is now fit for traffic. All roads from Tamil Nadu via Nilgiris are open, including the route via Kollegal in Karnataka. From within Kerala, roads from Kozhikode through Thamarassery Ghat and Kuttiadi Ghat are open for traffic. The road from Malappuram through Nadukani Ghat is also open. However Periya Ghat and Boys Town Ghat from Kannur remain closed and work is under progress to get them opened.

Supreme Court has directed sub-committee under Disaster Management Act 2005, Court appointed committee and National Committee for Crisis Management to explore possibility of reducing water level in Mullaperiyar dam reservoir to 139 feet from 142 feet. Sub-committee meanwhile decides to bring down water level in Mullaperiyaar dam by two to three feet in a phased manner, Centre informs Supreme Court.

Five house have been completely and many more partially damaged in the landlside in Wayanad. People are being evacuated on a large scale from these areas. Though, no casualty has been reported.

"This is the biggest natural diaster people of Kerala have ever witnessed. People have been rescued from Patanamthitta which has suffered the most in North Kerala and people have been rescued and shifted to Thiruvananthapuram. The district administration is seeking help from the local authorities and the community organisations who are willing to help the poor. Those who need accommodation near the Thiruvananthapuram Airport or Varkala Helipad should contact the district administration," the district collector and chairman of District Disaster Management Authority Thiruvananthapuram said.

Twenty people are missing in Thanthi Pala near Madiker. More than five houses have collapsed in a mudslide there an rescue team is yet to reach there.

Eight people in the upper floor of a house in Annamada are struck for the past three days. Food, water and insulin is over. Water is entering the upper floor as well. Last contacted 1 hour ago (11.00 am, 17 August). Mobile number: +91 98464 40468. Address: Chennalil House, Mambrakadavu Road, Palissery Annamanada, Mala, Trissur​.

"We are receiving multiple repetitive rescue requests in CMO. Ensure that you add date and time along with exact location, any significant landmark, district, number of stranded people and contact number of victim in all new requests," Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted.

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) has met for the second time in two days in Delhi on Friday to review the rescue and relief operations in the flood affected areas in Kerala. Cabinet secretary PK Sinha, who chaired the meeting, held a video conference with the chief secretaries of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It was decided to mobilise additional resources of all agencies including army, navy, air force, coast guard and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to provide required assistance to Kerala.

Meanwhile, the IAF has deployed 23 helicopters and 11 transport aircraft. Some of the aircraft are being flown in from Yelahanka and Nagpur. Army has pressed into service 10 columns, 10 Engineering Task Forces (ETFs), 60 boats and 100 life jackets and the NDRF has mobilised 43 rescue teams and 163 boats along with other equipment.

The Indian Navy has deployed 51 boats along with diving teams, 1,000 life jackets and 1,300 gumboots. It will airdrop 1,600 food packets today. The Coast Guard has deployed 30 boats along with rescue teams, 300 life jackets, seven life rafts and 144 life guards.

Trouble may be coming Karnataka's way as 2.20 lakh cusecs of water being is being let out into the Tungabhadra river from the reservoir. The Anjaneya temple in Modalagatti is partially submerged. It sits next to a bridge over the Tungabhadra river that connects the Hadagali and Mundargi taluk and provides the shortest route to Gadag.

The Indian Navy tweeted a video, Friday, showing a successful rescue operation from flood-hit Kerala. The naval team managed to rescue a pregnant woman, who was very close to labour. The woman has been successfully shifted to a local hospital for further care and treatment.

The Trivandrum District Information Office has rubbished rumours about fuel shortages in the state. District Collector K Vasuki has instructed fuel bunk owners to store 3000 litres of diesel and 1000 litres of petrol. She has also asked them to give priority to vehicles involved in relief operations.

Kerala has been severely hit by monsoon rains and rivers and dam reservoirs are overflowing, inundating a large part of the state. At least 100 people died yesterday in rain-related incidents, State Disaster Management Authority officials said in Thiruvananthapuram.

The NDRF said today it has moved more than 4,000 people to safer places and rescued another 44 from flooded areas in Kerala during the past nine days, even as its personnel struggle to reach remote areas cut off due to landslides.

According to state information agency, PIB, IndianArmy is deeply involved in the rescue and relief operations in Kerala. As of today, a total of 10 flood relief columns, each having an approx strength of 65 personnels are carrying out rescue operations.

Due to heavy rains in Valparai in Coimbatore, Nadumalai river is in spate and water has entered over 150 homes in the Vazhai Thotham, Children's Park and Gandhinagar. The state transport corporation bus depot has also been flooded forcing the state to suspend bus services.

State revenue minister RV Deshpande has said that a team of 80 Indian Navy personnel from Mangalore would be pressed in to rescue operations in Kodagu. Speaking to reporters on Friday he instructed district officers to open relief camps in the affected areas. He has also instructed officers to seize all the excavators in the district and press them to work on clearing the roads. Various medical teams from neighbouring districts are also arriving to attend to the needs of those injured during the floods and landslides.

The unrelenting fury of the Southwest monsoon is now affecting parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as well, in addition to ravaging flood-hit Kerala. Heavy and incessant rainfall triggered landslides in the Kodagu district of Kerala, and several low-lying areas in the city were also water-logged.

Vijayan said that fishermen who know swimming have also joined the operation. The boats have come from Vizhinjam and Poovar in Thiruvananthapuram, Anchuthengu in Kollam, Ponnani in Malappuram district, Azhikkal in Kannur and Thalaserry. Earlier 50 boats from Thiruvananthapuram were pressed into service under an initiative of the Trivandrum Archdiocese of the Latin Catholic Church.

In addition to the rubber boats brought in by armed forces and coast guards, about 200 more fishing boats have also been deployed to rescue people trapped in flood-affected areas. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that 19 boats have been sent to Tiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district, 15 each were sent to Thrissur and Ernakulam and 48 were sent to Chalakkudy. He said that 48 more boats were ready to join the operation.

Two persons have died during the rescue operations in Kochi. Midhunkumar (23), a native of Puthuvype, was washed away by the flood near Kalamaserry. The other person who lost the life in the rescue operation is Vattekkunnam Babu (48). Further details were not immediately available.

"“We aren’t getting a single rupee as remuneration for what we are doing, but that isn’t why we are doing this. We are saving lives, and we can’t think of anything else that could give us this feeling of satisfaction,” one of the fisherman told the News Minute .

State authorities too have welcomed their help as the boats brought by fishermen are small and can negotiate narrow areas. But the fishermen aren't helping out with hopes of any remuneration. Speaking to News Minute, several fishermen said that they haven't asked for any money from the state authorities and they were only trying to do whatever they can to help save lives.

As the navy boats are running short, fishermen from different parts of the state have taken off from their job and are taking their fishing boats to the flood-hit areas. People from of coastal villages of Neendakara, Vizhinjam, Ponnani, Tanur and Kozhikode didn’t go for fishing on Friday and have ventured to hilly areas instead, which are reeling under the floods, News18 r eported. They braced several problems in doing so as most of the hilly areas are cut-off due to landslides and heavy flooding on National Highways.

Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India, has joined the relief effort by announcing free cancellation of booked tickets. On its Facebook page, the low-cost airline said that the passengers will also be able to reschedule the date of their journey and change the sectors free of charge. The airline said that it would refund the full ticket amount if tickets are cancelled. The concession will be available to all to-and-fro flights from Trivandrum, Cochin and Calicut international airports till 26 August.

Following difficulties faced by the flood-hit people in accessing helpline numbers, the state government has launched a web portal to reach out to emergency responders. People requiring assistance can enter site www.keralarescue.in and key in their requirements like rescue, drinking water, food, clothes, medicines, kitchen and cleaning equipment after pressing "request for help”. After providing the information they have to click 'need rescue'. The information from the site will be passed on to Police, Navy, NDRF and other rescue teams. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked the people to make use of the facility.

Water has started receding in places like Chengannur and Ranni in Pathanamthitta but the same has started filling areas of Kuttanad in Alapuzha. Indian Aiforce and navy are still engaged in evacuation but there is still a lack of boats for which the chief minister has once again spoken to the prime minister for more help. Pandalam which is again a prominent town in Pathanamthitta has been submerged totally on Friday. All this continues inspite of the government not opening the dams any further.

Rescue efforts continue on a war footing in Kerala. More than 15000 people have been rescued by the combined rescue team. At least 314 have been airlifted between Thursday and Friday but thousands still await help on roofs across three districts of Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Thrissur. Pandanad and Malakkara in Pathanamthitta, certain areas in Aluva in Ernakulam and Chalakudy in Thrissur are still cut off due to heavy flooding.

There is a mad rush at Petrol Pumps across south Kerala with serpentine queues of cars wanting to fill their tanks as unconfirmed news spread that the movement of fuel ferrying tanker lorries from north to south Kerala would be severely affected due to the floods. Many pumps in Thiruvananthapuram have already put up 'no stock' boards as consumers continue the panic buying. Oil companies, however, have not confirmed a possible scarcity of fuel in the next few days.

People scramble to stock up on fuel as rumours of fuel shortage spread; no confirmation from oil companies yet

The Kerala Chief Minister's office has made an appeal to people once again to support the relief and rescue oeprations by contributing more to the relief fund. The tragedy in Kerala is the worst to hit the state in a century. Here is how you can help.

With over 250 people safely evacuated to the relief camp at Valiyora AMUP School in Malappuram, rescue operations are underway in full swing despite heavy downpour. Many families are still stuck in Tappancheri hills and around the river banks of Muthalamad in Vengara area. Two fire force units started their rescue operations around 3 pm on Thursday along with a navy unit, which was able to distribute food to the people stuck.

Till Friday, 173 people have lost their lives in the floods that damaged homes and crops across 11 districts in the southern state.

The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, in an appeal for aid and donations, said that 324 lives have been lost so far and 2,23,139 people are in about 1500+ relief camps. The state is ravaged by unprecedented rains, which forced the authorities to open gates of 80 dams in southern India. This is termed the worst calamity to hit the state in the past 100 years.

According to an official statement, while Rs 5 crore is being transferred from the Punjab Chief Minister's Relief Fund to Kerala counterpart's relief fund, the remaining Rs 5 crore will be in the form of ready-to-eat food material and other supplies, to be flown there with the help of the Defence Ministry.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has announced Rs 10 crore immediate relief for the flood-ravaged Kerala, where 106 people died on a single day yesterday as the state plunged deeper into misery with hospitals facing shortage of oxygen and fuel stations running dry.

The army officials involved in rescue in disaster-hit areas of Kerala have clarified that only dry food items can be distributed among the victims. Food items that require no cooking and that are free of water content are needed for distribution. The clarification came as many people have been donating cooked food at the collection centres, which would only be wasted, without reaching the beneficiaries. The media release from Thiruvananthapuram District Information office said that people should heed this suggestion from the army and contribute drinking water bottles, rice flakes (aval), jaggery, biscuits, dry fruits, buns, chocolates etc.

Food collected at Trivandrum International Airport for thousands of flood victims in Pathanamthitta was airdropped and distributed under the supervision of district officials. The Indian Army has requested all those trying to help the flood victims in Kerala to drop off dry food packets at collection centres.

Similarly, broadcasting major Star India also said it would donate Rs 2 crore to the Kerala Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund as its contribution towards relief and rehabilitation in the rain-ravaged state. Additionally, Asianet employees have pledged Rs 25 lakh to the relief work in state, a company statement said.

ICICI Bank today announced that it will contribute Rs.10 crore to aid the state government and the local authorities in their efforts to provide relief and assistance in the flood-affected regions of Kerala. The majority of the contribution will be extended to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. The Bank will also contribute to the District Collectors’ efforts in all the 14 districts of the state to help in the supply of essential commodities like clothes, food items, medicines, sanitation & hygiene products and others.

Thiruvananthapuram limped back to normalcy as there was some respite for the rains on Thursday and Friday. Water has started receding in the flood-hit areas of the district, said a media release from the District Information Office. As there were no heavy showers reported on Thursday, works to drain water from the water-logged areas and sanitation works could be conducted, helping in a quick recovery of the district. Many who were rehabilitated in relief camps have returned to their homes. However, more than 7000 are still being accommodated in relief camps in the flood-hit areas in the district.

Kerala Forest Minister K Raju, who went to Germany to take part in the World Malayali Global Council conference, was called back by his Communist Party of India after it kicked off a controversy. The minister who was given the charge of coordinating the rescue and relief operations in Kottayam district had left the state at a time when the district was reeling under severe flood. Though several other ministers, MPs including Shashi Tharoor and MLAs were invited only Raju and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MP ET Mohamed Basheer went for the conference. Kottayam district has been under red alert for the last one week.

This comes a day after around 130 labourers from Odisha stuck at Odapally area of Kerala made a video and broadcasted it appealing to the state govt to come to their rescue. Meanwhile, the Special Relief Commissioner from Odisha Bishnupada Sethi has also written to the Additional Chief Secretary, Disaster Management of the Kerala government requesting him to ensure all adequate support to them like food, drinking water and others.

The Odisha government Friday opened a helpline for the Odia community under distress in Kerala, hit by a flood-like situation there. The helpline which would be operated from the office of the Special Relief Commissioner, Bhubaneswar could be reached at 1070 and 0674-2534177.

More than 3000 people have been rescued till date by the SNC and continuous efforts are on to bring the flood affected people to safety and also provide them essential relief supplies such as food and water. Today 310 people have been rescued by the boats and 176 by aircraft as of 4.30 pm.

Eighteen more teams were sent out to various locations since early morning, to augment the rescue teams. A total of 10 and 9 diving/ rescue teams with Gemini boats were received from Eastern Naval Command and Western Naval Command respectively.

Even as the flood situation continued to remain dire all across Kerala, Southern Naval Command had deployed a total of 58 rescue and diving teams with Gemini boats in multiple locations as of 4:30 PM on 17 Aug 18, the ninth day of Operation Madad.

"The Southern Railway has dispatched one water special consisting of seven wagons with water tank from the Erode Junction station at 4 p.m. today with 2.8 lakh liter of drinking water," Rajesh Dutt Bajpai, Director Media Railway Ministry, said. "Today 2,740 cartons were despatched from Parassala Rail Neer plant. Another 10,000 cartons of water bottles (1,00,000 bottles) from IRCTC's Parassala plant in Kerala is under progress," he said, adding that about 15,000 cartons with water bottles are being despatched from IRCTC's Palur Plant in Tamil Nadu.

With Kerala reeling under one of the worst floods, Indian Railways on Friday sent over 2.8 lakh liter of drinking water to the state through wagons and also bottled water.

The Indian Army deployed one coloumn in Karnataka's Kodagu district following heavy rainfall and landslips. The army evacuated over 1,000 people in the area.

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said that she has asked her department to coordinate with relief and rescue operations. She tweeted: "Deeply anguished by the critical condition of Kerala. I have asked my team to extend full support to the Government of Kerala in rescue and relief operations. To aid distressed Children stuck in this massive calamity, I have arranged 100 MT of Ready-To-Eat Food. Have also assured the State Govt. for more supplies. Praying for well-being and safety of Children."

"The situation in Chenagnnur in Pathanamthitta is getting worse with every passing moment. Thousands are stranded for the third day without food water and medicines in some of the most interior areas. Unless urgent steps are taken to reach them we could be in for huge casualties," Saji Cherian, CPI(M)'s MLA from Chengannur said.

Additionally, 19 arrivals/departures have been mounted to/from Trivandrum, Calicut and Coimbatore airports. Nine foreign carriers operating to Cochin have also rescheduled their flights to/from Trivandrum.

In view of closure of Cochin airport, DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has asked scheduled domestic airlines to mount additional flights for Thiruvananthapuram and Calicut airports. Out of 71 arrivals and 74 departures of scheduled domestic airlines to/from Cochin, 23 arrivals and 24 departures have been rescheduled.

"Domestic airlines have also been advised to ensure that airfares to/from Thiruvananthapuram/Kozhikode airports in Kerala and nearby airports in Mangalore and Coimbatore are kept at optimal level proportionate to sector distance so that travelling public is not inconvenienced," DGCA said. Accordingly, airlines have been requested to cap the maximum fare at Rs 10,000 on longer routes and around Rs 8,000 on shorter routes to/from Kerala and nearby airports. PTI

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which held talks with the carriers, said it is constantly monitoring airfares on 32 direct routes operating to/from Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Coimbatore and Mangalore. "Spike in airfare on a few routes have been observed. Airlines concerned have been advised to cap the airfare on these flights," it added.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy will visit Kodagu tomorrow and review the relief operations in the district. He will chair a high-level meeting regarding the flood situation in the state at 10.30 am tomorrow in Krishna and then leave for Kodagu. He'll visit rain-affected areas in Nanjangood and Kabini on Sunday.

Telangana chief minister has offered Rs 25 crore assistance, while Delhi and Punjab have offered Rs 10 crore each to help flood-hit Kerala. Conservative estimates so far have suggested that the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore, however, an official figure is yet to be released.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram. He will stay overnight at the Kerala Raj Bhawan and will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-hit state on Saturday morning.

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 crore to the rain-ravaged state. Expressing grief over the devastation, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said his government would extend all possible help to Kerala. "Our moral support will always be there. We will also help the state in kind and other ways as well," the CM said in a statement. He hoped that the situation in the state would return to normal soon. PTI

Rao has also instructed that water purifying machines worth Rs 2.50 crore be supplied to Kerala as drinking water gets polluted due to floods, it said. The chief Minister has appealed to industrialists, prominent persons in IT sector and others in Telangana to help the rain-hit state, it said.

The Telangana government today announced an assistance of Rs 25 crore to rain-ravaged Kerala. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has directed Chief Secretary S K Joshi to see that the money reaches Kerala immediately, an official release said.

According to the state disaster management authority, at least 194 people have lost their lives across the 14 districts of Kerala, since 8 August. The highest death toll was reported from Thrissur (42), whereas Wayanad reported the most damage to homes and property, followed closely by Palakkad. Malappuram faced the most severe damage to crops, amid all districts.

Additionally, 19 arrivals/departures have been mounted to/from Trivandrum, Calicut and Coimbatore airports. Nine foreign carriers operating to Cochin have also rescheduled their flights to/from Trivandrum.

In view of closure of Cochin airport, DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has asked scheduled domestic airlines to mount additional flights for Thiruvananthapuram and Calicut airports. Out of 71 arrivals and 74 departures of scheduled domestic airlines to/from Cochin, 23 arrivals and 24 departures have been rescheduled.

"Domestic airlines have also been advised to ensure that airfares to/from Thiruvananthapuram/Kozhikode airports in Kerala and nearby airports in Mangalore and Coimbatore are kept at optimal level proportionate to sector distance so that travelling public is not inconvenienced," DGCA said. Accordingly, airlines have been requested to cap the maximum fare at Rs 10,000 on longer routes and around Rs 8,000 on shorter routes to/from Kerala and nearby airports. PTI

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which held talks with the carriers, said it is constantly monitoring airfares on 32 direct routes operating to/from Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Coimbatore and Mangalore. "Spike in airfare on a few routes have been observed. Airlines concerned have been advised to cap the airfare on these flights," it added.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy will visit Kodagu tomorrow and review the relief operations in the district. He will chair a high-level meeting regarding the flood situation in the state at 10.30 am tomorrow in Krishna and then leave for Kodagu. He'll visit rain-affected areas in Nanjangood and Kabini on Sunday.

Telangana chief minister has offered Rs 25 crore assistance, while Delhi and Punjab have offered Rs 10 crore each to help flood-hit Kerala. Conservative estimates so far have suggested that the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore, however, an official figure is yet to be released.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram. He will stay overnight at the Kerala Raj Bhawan and will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-hit state on Saturday morning.

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 crore to the rain-ravaged state. Expressing grief over the devastation, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said his government would extend all possible help to Kerala. "Our moral support will always be there. We will also help the state in kind and other ways as well," the CM said in a statement. He hoped that the situation in the state would return to normal soon. PTI

Rao has also instructed that water purifying machines worth Rs 2.50 crore be supplied to Kerala as drinking water gets polluted due to floods, it said. The chief Minister has appealed to industrialists, prominent persons in IT sector and others in Telangana to help the rain-hit state, it said.

The Telangana government today announced an assistance of Rs 25 crore to rain-ravaged Kerala. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has directed Chief Secretary S K Joshi to see that the money reaches Kerala immediately, an official release said.

Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Kerala to take stock of the flood situation in the state; received by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Governor P Sathasivam and Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons pic.twitter.com/fAW9D2KCPE

According to the state disaster management authority, at least 194 people have lost their lives across the 14 districts of Kerala, since 8 August. The highest death toll was reported from Thrissur (42), whereas Wayanad reported the most damage to homes and property, followed closely by Palakkad. Malappuram faced the most severe damage to crops, amid all districts.

Kerala floods latest updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram. He will stay overnight at the Kerala Raj Bhawan and will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-hit state on Saturday morning.

"The situation in Chenagnnur in Pathanamthitta is getting worse with every passing moment. Thousands are stranded for the third day without food water and medicines in some of the most interior areas. Unless urgent steps are taken to reach them we could be in for huge casualties," Saji Cherian, CPI(M)'s MLA from Chengannur said.

Telangana chief minister has offered Rs 25 crore assistance, while Delhi and Punjab have offered Rs 10 crore each to help flood-hit Kerala. Conservative estimates so far have suggested that the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore, however, an official figure is yet to be released.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the rescue operations today didn't go well. He said that over 84,000 people were evacuated today but the situation remained grim in Chalakudy and Chengannur districts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for Kochi from New Delhi. He will arrive around 9 pm on Friday and will take an aerial survey of the state tomorrow.

The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, in an appeal for aid and donations, said that 324 lives have been lost so far and 2,23,139 people are in about 1500+ relief camps. The state is ravaged by unprecedented rains, which forced the authorities to open gates of 80 dams in southern India. This is termed the worst calamity to hit the state in the past 100 years.

The Indian Navy has rushed a fleet replenishment tanker, INS Deepak from Mumbai to Kochi with 8 Lakh litres of drinking water to help the people stranded in Kerala. The ship is scheduled to reach Kochi on 19 August.

More than 15000 people have been rescued by the combined rescue team. However, thousands still await help on roofs across three districts of Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Thrissur. Pandanad and Malakkara in Pathanamthitta, certain areas in Aluva in Ernakulam and Chalakudy in Thrissur are still cut off due to heavy flooding.

In addition to the rubber boats brought in by armed forces and coast guards, about 200 more fishing boats have also been deployed to rescue people trapped in flood-affected areas. The boats brought by fishermen are small and can negotiate narrow areas. Moreover, the fishermen are also familiar with the conditions.

The NDRF said it has moved more than 4,000 people to safer places and rescued another 44 from flooded areas in Kerala during the past nine days, even as its personnel struggle to reach remote areas cut off due to landslides.

More than 100 people died in rain-related incidents in Kerala in the last 24 hours since Thursday, sources in the State Disaster Management Authority said, even as defence forces scaled up operations this morning to rescue those stranded in worst-hit areas. The toll for Thursday, initially put at 30, has now been revised to 106, the sources said, which takes the overall fatalities to 173 since the second spell of monsoon fury unleashed itself on 8 August.



The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) has met for the second time in two days in Delhi on Friday to review the rescue and relief operations in the flood-affected areas in Kerala. Cabinet secretary PK Sinha, who chaired the meeting, held a video conference with the chief secretaries of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It was decided to mobilise additional resources of all agencies including army, navy, air force, coast guard and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to provide the required assistance to Kerala.

Supreme Court has directed sub-committee under Disaster Management Act 2005, Court appointed committee and National Committee for Crisis Management to explore possibility of reducing water level in Mullaperiyar dam reservoir to 139 feet from 142 feet.

Both the Chalakudy river and the Periyar river are at same level but water is not receding. A landslide occurred in the morning at Manandhavady in Wayanad but no casualty was reported.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought more central forces to assist the state government in the rescue operations. According to him, 16 teams of Army, 13 teams of Navy, 10 teams of Air Force and 39 teams of NDRF are now engaged in the operations. The NDRF has so far rescued 4,000 people and Navy 550. Explaining the rescue and relief operations in Kerala, TV Sajeev, head of the Forest Health Division at the Kerala Forest Research Institute which is operating three helpline routes told Firstpost that there are three groups, outside Kerala, who are coordinating rescue operations at the moment — the National Defence Rescue Force, the Navy and the Air force.

"They've divided Kerala into three portions for the purpose of operational efficiency. Rescue activities are coordinated at the district Level. Every district collector is operating a district coordination centre and additionally, has their own rescue teams. Official helplines have been constituted across institutes and offices."

According to Sajeev, people who are stranded call with their locations, the role of those managing helplines is to break this down into geographical coordinates and then transfer the information to the District Coordination Centre. "Here, it is assigned to different rescue teams, manned either by the national forces or district teams. Those rescued are being transferred to relief camps across districts which provide accommodation, food and basic medical care services. There are private relief camps set up across districts too."

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought more central forces to assist the state government in the rescue operations. According to him, 16 teams of Army, 13 teams of Navy, 10 teams of Air Force and 39 teams of NDRF are now engaged in the operations. The NDRF has so far rescued 4,000 people and Navy 550.

Pinarayi Vijayan said, "Total 11 helicopters have been deployed to rescue stranded people across Kerala, especially in areas. We have appealed to Centre to provide more choppers for rescue operation. We haven't been able to deploy more boats in Chengannur, Chalakudy and Aluva. We have received over 140 boats this morning. There are some areas which are high and people can only be rescued by helicopters. Total 16 units of Army deployed across the state."

Pinarayi Vijayan addressed the media and said that since 8 August at least 164 people have died due to flooding and landslides. "At least, 4,000 people have been rescued by NDRF till now. A total of 70 people have been airlifted from various parts of the city and 1,568 relief camps have opened up in the state," Vijayan said.

The Southern Railways has cancel all trains going to Tamil Nadu from Mangalore. This step was taken after the flooding of railway lines in Palghat-Shoranur section.

The shutters of the Thottapally spillway have been opened in the Alappuzha district. The traffic along NH 47 between Alapuzha and Thiruvananthapuram has been suspended for next three hours as water will flow over the highway.

The district administration has appointed officers to shelter homes. District minister Sa Ra Mahesh is camping in district monitoring rescue operations centre. Meanwhile, the road connecting Gonikoppa to Kutta has been blocked.

NH 47 between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram will be blocked on Friday for sometime as Thottapally spillway shutters will be opened at 11 am.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted that she talked to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan over phone and that he requested her for more helicopters. She said that she has instructed the Vice Chief of Air Staff to provide the required assistance.

BSNL Kerala has announced unlimited free calls for seven days from Friday in Kerala's four rain affected districts - Waynadu, Idukki, Alleppey and Pathanamthitta. This includes unlimited SMS and 20 minutes of free calling to non-BSNL numbers everyday.

Red alert has been issued in all 13 districts except Kasaragod for Friday. Red alert has been issued for Saturday also in Ernakulam and Idukki districts, ANI reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the situation in Kerala as he spoke to chef minister Pinarayi Vijayan over phone. "Had a telephone conversation with Kerala chief minister P Vijayan just now.We discussed flood situation across the state and reviewed rescue operations. Later this evening, I will be heading to Kerala to take stock of the unfortunate situation due to flooding," Narendra Modi tweeted.

In a huge relief to the people on the banks of Periyar River, the government has decided not to release further water from Idukki dam. The govt has issued an advisory warning for the Cauvery river as it prepares to release more water from the Kabani and Krishna Raja Sagara Dam into the river and its tributaries. More than 2.1 lakh cusecs of water is expected to reach Mettur Dam in Tamil Nadu.

The Indian Army, state police and local rescue groups are engaged in rescue operations at Pathanamthitta, Ranni and Chenganoor localities which are submerged in flood waters. More men, including special forces with diving and rescue equipment and helicopters, are being deployed as calls for rescue have been pouring in from various parts of the districts.

Fisher folks from Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram have joined the Army and state police in rescuing people stranded in Pathanamthitta district following floods in Pampa river and its tributaries. About 130 fishermen who knows swimming have been pressed into action by the Trivandrum Latin Church diocese. The fishermen have arrived in Pathanamthitta with 50 fishing boats.

The Kochi International Airport on Thursday extended the suspension of all services up to 2 pm on 26 August, with large parts of the facility flooded. "Kochi Airport operations is temporarily suspended up to 2 pm on 26 August due to very high flood situation and key essential facilities like runway, taxiway and apron are under

submerged condition," an airport statement said.

Thousands of people are stranded in flood-hit areas in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Alappuzha districts are waiting for rescue teams to save their lives. Most of the people are trapped on the roof tops and upper floors of houses, apartments and hospitals for two to three days without drinking water, food and medicines. They include a large number of sick and aged people, pregnant women and children.

In a press conference held on Thursday, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed that the situation in Kerala is under control, with rescue missions happening in full swings. Presently around 1.5 lakh people are in refugee camps. Around 3000 people were rescued on Thursday in Ernakulam and Pattanamthitta. The Centre and State are conducting the rescue operations together, according to the Chief Minister’s office.

Prime minister Narendra Modi would visit Kerala and undertake an aerial survey of the flood ravaged areas on Saturday, Union Minister K J Alphons said on Thursday. Modi is expected to reach Kochi on Friday after attending the funeral of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee scheduled for 4 pm tomorrow in Delhi. After an overnight stay at Kochi, the Prime Minister will undertake an aerial survey of the flood affected areas on Saturday, Alphons said.

Modi has already been in touch with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and had assured all assistance. The prime minister has taken a "positive stand" towards the state on relief measures, Vijayan had said on Wednesday after he spoke to him for the second time in the past few days.

Kerala has been ravaged by unprecedented floods following torrential rains that also triggered landslides, claiming 97 lives since 8 August besides disrupting air, rail and road traffic in several places. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had on 12 August undertook an aerial survey of the floot-hit regions and announced an immediate central assistance of Rs 100 crore to the state for relief works.