Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan thanks a Naval officer in Thirvananthapuram on Sunday. (ANI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan thanks a Naval officer in Thirvananthapuram on Sunday. (ANI)

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday thanked the defence personnel who participated in the rescue operations during the devastating rains and floods. The CM expressed his gratitude to the personnel during a farewell function in Thiruvanthapuram.

“A farewell for all the armed forces personnel who took part in the rescue operations will be held at a function here on August 26,” Mr Vijayan had told reporters after a meeting to review rescue and relief measures on Thursday.

The role played by the Army and Navy in the unprecedented deluge is praiseworthy. Besides the government and state police department, the defence and para-military forces have worked hand-in-hand in the rescue operations. The Navy has rescued over 16,000 people in the unprecedented deluge.

“All the Defence Forces operated hand in hand with the Disaster Management Control Rooms and it was this coordination that helped in saving lives and in making this rescue operations successful,” Kerala Police chief Loknath Behera had said on Thursday.

The defence personnel would continue to support the state authorities in flood-hit areas in relief and rehabilitation initiatives, a spokesperson said today.

As on date, a total of 10 Columns and 12 Engineer Task Force of the Army are carrying out continuous rescue and relief operations in the area. The troops are involved in road opening, clearing of landslidess and construction of temporary bridges, utilising the natural resources available in the area.

(With PTI inputs)

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.