PTI photo

ALAPPUZHA: Kuttanad is witnessing the biggest disaster and both the Union and state governments should join hands to overcome this crisis, said Union minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju . Speaking to newsmen after visiting the flood-affected areas in Alappuzha on Saturday, he said that one more high- level central team would visit the state’s flood-affected areas to conduct a detailed assessment of disaster created by the flood and rain.

``The team, consisting of the top officials of union’s home, finance, transport and agriculture ministries will reach the state within 10 days. Based on the report of this team, the union government will give more financial assistance to the state. The flood affected people will get emergency financial aid. We need long-term projects to end the crisis of the flood-affected people. We are satisfied with the arrangements made by the state government in relief camps. I have called at Kerala at the best of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ,’’ said Kiren Rijiju.

Kiren Rijiju along with Union minister of state for tourism Alphonse Kannanthanam and state agriculture minister V S Sunil Kumar undertook an aerial survey of flood-affected Kuttanad before they landing at police parade ground here from Kochi in a helicopter around 11 am on Saturday. PWD minister G Sudhakaran and district collector S Suhas received the central team. After that, the central team held meeting with the ministers G Sudhakaran and agriculture minister V S Sunil Kumar and state government officials at Alappuzha Rest House.

From the rest house, the central and state teams have moved to the relief camp at Lutheran School at Komalapuram. After that, they moved to Kuttanad in boats. The central team visited a gruel centre at Zero Jetty in Kuttanad. Following which, they moved to relief camps at Kuppapuram. However, the central team did not go to Kuttanad’s interior areas, where flood created more disasters. While the centre team was visiting Kuttanad, the sky was clear and there was no rain. After completing their visit in Kuttanad, the central team returned to Alappuzha town by 1 pm in boats. Rijiju also shared the pictures and aerial view of Kuttanad in his Twitter handle while he was visiting here.

Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Alphonse Kannanthanam were accompanied by state ministers G Sudhakaran and V S Sunil Kumar, Kodikunnil Suresh MP, Thomas Chandy MLA and district collector S Suhas.

The central team and state ministers had lunch (Kerala meals with fish curry and pearl spot fry) from Alappuzha Guest House and the central team left the Guest House for Kottayam by 2 pm.

