THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: More personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and an Air Force Team will join the rescue operations at the landslide-hit areas in Wayanad, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday.
All possible efforts will be taken to rescue people trapped in the affected areas and also to recover bodies from the debris, he told mediapersons here on Tuesday evening.
The CM said that rescue operations will be temporarily stopped for Tuesday night due to bad weather conditions.
However, he informed that people rescued from Mundakkai, where the landslide wreaked havoc causing an entire town to be washed away, will be taken across the river to a safe location on Tuesday evening itself.
As many as 45 relief camps have been opened in the district where 3069 persons are being accommodated. Five state ministers are overseeing the rescue operations. North Zone IG and DIG of the State Police are camping in Wayanad, Vijayan informed.
The rescue operations are conducted by the NDRF, Fire Force and State Police. The CM said a new NDRF team will arrive in Wayanad on Tuesday night. Already a 60-member NDRF team is deployed in the area.
An 89-member team from the Defence Security Corps (DSC) will soon join the operations. Already a 64-member team from the DSC is engaged there.
Two choppers of the Air Force are halting at the Kozhikode airport due to bad weather. The state has placed requests for the river crossing team of the Navy, one each from the ETF Army and Coast Guard, the CM said.
The Chief Minister said the Wayanad incident was one of the most tragic natural disasters the state has ever seen. He paid tributes to the deceased.
The CM added that the media in the state exercised vigil in passing information without creating panic.
Highlights from CM Pinarayi Vijayan's press conference:
Police control room
A control room has been opened at the State Police Headquarters. Information received at the control room is passed on to the rescue teams in the respective areas. Besides the local police, personnel from the Kerala Armed Police Battalions, Rapid Response and Rescue Force, and Special Operation Group are also deployed in Wayanad.
Members of the KAP 5tth Battalion who received training from the High Altitude Training Centre will also be part of the search. Police Drone teams from various districts have also been sent to Wayanad. Traffic arrangements have been made for the smooth travel of the Army team from Bangalore arriving with advanced equipment to remove the debris.
Postmortem
A special team of forensic doctors from Kozhikode have been sent to Wayanad to speed up the post-mortem procedures of recovered bodies. DNA tests will be conducted on unidentified bodies.
Relief camps
Efforts have been taken to provide sufficient food and water to the relief camps. LSGs will work with the State Disaster Management Authority to shift people to relief camps and to monitor their functioning.
The Civil Supplies Department and the Supplyco are in charge of providing food and water. The Water Resources Department has sent two tankers carrying 20,000 litres of drinking water. NHM state Mission Director has been assigned to coordinate the activities of the health department.
Temporary hospitals have been arranged. Teams from Kozhikode, Kannur and Thrissur Medical College Hospitals have been sent to Wayanad. Private hospital doctors have also been pressed into service. A direction has been given to the government health workers to join duty at the earliest.
Rapid Action Medical Units of the 108 ambulance service will be sent to Wayanad.
The KSEB infrastructure suffered massive losses. 3 km of high-tension lines, 8 km of low-tension lines, and two transformers were washed away. Three other transformers were damaged. Service to about 350 houses have been totally disrupted. The KSEB is taking steps to restore connection in the affected areas. Connection to all households, except 1400 houses, would be restored on Tuesday evening.
Precautions
The IMD has predicted intense rains in Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad Kannur and Kasaragod. Red alert has been issued for these districts.
An orange alert has been issued for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam. Yellow alert has been issued for Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts.
Rains can be expected in the state for the next five days and people should take precautions, the CM said.
Leaves, except for long leaves, will be cancelled for the staff of police, fire and rescue services, revenue, health departments and the Local Self Government Institutions. Collectors and department heads have been asked to ensure that such persons rejoin duty.
Control rooms have been opened by the health department, police, revenue department, PRD and Forest departments. People should avoid unnecessary travel to the disaster-affected areas. This is to facilitate the smooth travel of rescue and health workers.
Two trained police dogs have been pressed into service to detect bodies buried in the debris. The Army has been requested to provide more trained dogs.
The CM further urged everyone to make donations to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund to support the people affected by the disaster. The Kerala Bank has already donated Rs 50 lakh to the CMDRF. The CIAl has promised Rs 2 crore while the Tamil Nadu Government hs declared Rs 5 crore financial support. Two days' official mourning has also been announced in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Home Minister Amith Shah, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose rang up the CM personally and promised all help. Kerala's Opposition Leader, Deputy Opposition Leader, and former Chief Minister have also offered support.