Seva Bharati karyakartas engaged in relief and rescue operations across flood-hit districts in Kerala.
Thiruvananthapuram: Torrential rains that lashed Kerala on August 2 and 3, with heavy rainfall continuing in several parts of the state, have triggered widespread flooding, landslides and soil erosion, leaving 15 people dead and seven others missing, according to the latest official figures.
More than 7,600 people have been shifted to 273 relief camps across the state, while 27 houses have been completely destroyed, 196 houses have suffered partial damage, and crop loss has been reported over 165 hectares, affecting around 3,600 farmers.
Several districts remain under red alert, with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) reporting landslides and related incidents at around 100 locations.
Amid the ongoing flood situation, Seva Bharati has intensified its relief and rescue operations across the affected districts, assisting thousands of flood victims in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad.
Seva Bharati volunteers are evacuating stranded residents, supplying food and drinking water, and shifting patients requiring medical care to hospitals.
In Pathanamthitta district, BJP workers joined Seva Bharati volunteers in the rescue operations. A delegation led by BJP Legislature Party Leader B. B. Gopakumar, MLA, visited Seva Bharati volunteers engaged in cleaning operations at the Ranni Bus Stand and extended support to their relief work.
Seva Bharati volunteers evacuated residents from hundreds of houses near Aranmula Punja after floodwaters inundated the area.
Most of the rescue operations were carried out near the petrol pump on the Kozhencherry–Mavelikkara Road, where the floodwater pressure was severe.
Several families stranded on the second floor of their houses were shifted to relief camps. More than 50 Seva Bharati volunteers participated in the rescue operations in Kozhencherry.
Relief work is also continuing in Edathwa and Thalavadi in Alappuzha district. In one operation, Seva Bharati volunteers shifted a person with a fractured leg from a flooded house to a safe location using a stretcher. The rescue operation was led by District Secretary M. S. Madhusoodanan and Vineesh V. C.
With water levels continuing to rise, Seva Bharati has deployed two Yamaha engine-powered rescue boats at Thalavadi for evacuation and rescue operations.
Kerala has been witnessing torrential rains since the beginning of August after a delayed monsoon. The heavy rainfall has resulted in flooding across several districts, prompting authorities to open the shutters of multiple dams.
The IMD has forecast further rainfall in parts of the state, while authorities have advised people living near dams, riverbanks and low-lying areas to remain alert.
Along with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), Kerala Fire and Rescue Services, State Police and Local Self Government Departments, Seva Bharati continues to participate in flood relief and rescue operations across the state.
Several towns in the eastern parts of the state are witnessing severe flooding, drawing comparisons with the devastating 2018 Kerala floods.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has reported similar calamities at around 100 locations. Several districts remain under red alert, while others are under orange alert. Educational institutions remain closed in many districts.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy rainfall was forecast until the morning of August 2, with the possibility of more rain, landslides and soil erosion, particularly in the northern districts. The IMD also indicated that rainfall was expected to reduce from the afternoon of August 2 and further ease from August 3 onwards.
