THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Search and rescue operations will be intensified in the Chalakkudy and Chengannur regions on Saturday where the flood situation is at its worst, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday.
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Bigger boats will be deployed in the two regions to evacuate as many stranded people as possible, he said.
The army will deploy 12 big boats in Chalakkudy and Kalady and 15 more in Chengannur. Ten army boats will start services in Thiruvalla. The evacuation using big boats will begin at 6 am.
''More army boats were expected to be airlifted to Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi by Friday night,'' he said.
The state government has requested the centre for 600 motor boats and more helicopters for search and rescue operations in the state.
Meanwhile, permission had been granted for landing small aircraft at the naval airport in Kochi as the Cochin International Airport remains flooded, he said.
Special air-fares fixed
Following complaints that private carriers had jacked up airfares in view of Onam, the state government has intervened to fix special airfares in view of the flood situation. As per assurance from the centre, the airfare between Thiruvananthapuram and New Delhi has been fixed at Rs 10000. ''The fares for other airports will be fixed correspondingly,'' the chief minister said.