Kerala: 1st commercial flight lands at Cochin International Airport after heavy floods

With over 6.33 lakh people taking shelter in 3,000 relief camps, the government on Sunday directed the central ministries to focus on providing essential commodities and medicine and restoration of vital services in flood-hit Kerala.

Image courtesy: DD News

Kerala: Amid massive floods and relief operations, first commercial flight landed at INS Garuda Kochi Naval Air Station after Cochin International Airport got affected due to heavy floods. The flight was flown by Air Inida, and came as a big relief for the people. The flight landed following NDMA statement on Sunday saying “there will be no heavy rains in the flood-hit Kerala for the next four days”. The same has given a ray of hope to the distraught people of the state. With over 6.33 lakh people taking shelter in 3,000 relief camps, the government on Sunday directed the central ministries to focus on providing essential commodities and medicine and restoration of vital services in flood-hit Kerala. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) in its review meeting directed that focus should now be on provision of emergency supplies of food, water, medicines and restoration of essential services such as power, fuel, telecom and transport links as flood water recedes in Kerala, an official spokesperson said. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said a total of 6,33,010 people are staying in 2,971 relief camps in Kerala and around 38,000 flood affected people have also been rescued by different agencies so far. "Rainfall will further decrease during the next five days. Heavy rain at one or two places in Idukki, Konnur and Kozhikode districts likely today. No heavy rain from tomorrow for the next four days," the NDMA said, quoting a bulletin of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).