PM Narendra Modi reaches Kerala’s Kochi, conducts aerial survey of flood-hit areas

Kerala has been severely hit by monsoon rains and rivers and dam reservoirs are overflowing, inundating a large part of the southern state.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kochi from Thiruvananthapuram where he conducted an aerial survey to witness the massive loss and destruction triggered by the torrential rains in Kerala on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accompanied by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor P. Sathasivam and Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons during aerial survey of flood affected areas. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/s0LB2Z9J3q

— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018

The Prime Minister's first attempt was cancelled due to rains prevailing at the Kochi Naval airbase. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Thiruvananthapuram to take stock of the flood situation. Modi was received by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor P Sathasivam and Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons at the airport. Kerala has been severely hit by monsoon rains and rivers and dam reservoirs are overflowing, inundating a large part of the southern state. The deadliest deluge in close to a century has claimed 324 lives, and dealt a severe blow to the scenic state, wrecking its tourism industry, destroying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure. Kerela Chief Minister has urged the people to contribute generously to relief efforts. In a Facebook post, he said that rebuilding the affected areas is going to be an arduous task. The Chief Minister himself has made a personal contribution of one lakh rupees to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). As per reports, in one week (August 8-15), Kerala received more than 3.5 times its normal rainfall. The rainfall in six out of the state's 14 districts was more than 10 times the normal on Thursday. That day, Idukki, one of the worst-hit districts, was battered with 266mm of rain, more than 13 times the normal for the day.