Special trains to bring back stranded Odias from Kerala

Trains are expected to start reaching Bhubaneswar from Tuesday morning
Odisha fire service personnel rescuing stranded people in Kerala on Monday | Express
Odisha fire service personnel rescuing stranded people in Kerala on Monday | Express

BHUBANESWAR:  After rolling out helpline service and releasing a list of Odias stranded in flood-ravaged Kerala, Odisha Government has arranged special coaches to bring back the affected people. The trains will start reaching the Capital from Tuesday.“On the direction of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, special coaches have been reserved in trains at Trivandrum and Kochi to ensure safe return of Odia workers stranded in Kerala,” said Chief Minister Office (CMO), adding, “Odisha Government is ready to fund more special trains to bring back stranded Odias”.

East Coast Railway (ECoR) officials said, two special trains left Ernakulam on Sunday and will reach Bhubaneswar on Tuesday morning. Similarly, another train from Kochuveli in Thiruvananthapuram which started at 11 am on Monday will reach Bhubaneswar at 3.45 am Wednesday. The train is carrying people of Northern Andhra Pradesh and Odisha stranded in the southern State. Another special train from Thiruvananthapuram which left for Silchar at 2 pm Monday is expected to reach here on Wednesday morning, ECoR officials added.

Labour and ESI Department informed that labour officials from Odisha are coordinating with officials in Trivandrum, Kochi and Ernakulam stations to ensure safe return of flood victims to the State.“Two officers from our department -- PK Mohapatra and BB Acharya - have been stationed at Trivandrum and Ernakulam. We are also taking help from local Odia communities and are mobilsing them for effective rescue and relief work,” said State Labour Commissioner Anjan Kumar Manik.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi said, 24-hour control room has been set up at SRC office and the officials are coordinating with Kerala counterparts and other departments of Odisha Government.“We are collecting information from people stranded in Kerala and their relatives on helpline numbers 1070 (toll free) and 0674-2534177. We are sharing this information with SRC Kerala. We are also coordinating with the State Labour & ESI department and rescue and relief teams,”Sethi said.
Meanwhile, the State Revenue and Disaster Management department has sent a list of 32 more Odias stranded in Kerala besides the list of 187 which was sent earlier.

Fire personnel continue rescue ops
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Fire Service personnel continued their rescue mission by shifting 500 persons stranded in Kerala, to safety on Monday. The rescue operations were conducted at Changanassery, Alappuzha-Changanassery Road and other areas in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts. The personnel also assisted Kerala administration in reaching the remotest submerged places. “Multiple rescue teams of Odisha Fire Service are operating in Vaikom area of Kottayam district on Monday,” Fire Service DG BK Sharma had tweeted. Another tweet said, “Odisha Fire Service personnel and boats deployed in Kerala. Since, 1999 Super Cyclone, Odisha has emerged as a model in disaster preparedness,” the IPS Association said in its official Twitter handle.

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