Odisha announces additional Rs 5 crore assistance for Kerala

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced additional financial assistance of Rs five crore and also ordered polythene sheets worth Rs 8 crore for flood-ravaged Kerala.

The financial assistance from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) is in addition to the Rs 5 crore sanctioned earlier, an official in the Chief Minister's Office said.

Patnaik has also ordered 500 MT of polythene sheets worth about Rs 8 crore to be sent to rain-battered Kerala. Odisha Government had earlier on August 16 announced financial assistance of Rs 5 crore for disaster-hit Kerala.

The chief minister stated that people of Odisha stand by the flood affected people of Kerala at this hour of severe distress. He expressed deep condolences for the lives lost due to the devastating flood in the southern state.

"Odisha knows what a natural calamity of this magnitude means to the common man," Patnaik said.

Odisha Government had yesterday sent a special team of fire service personnel armed with modern equipment to assist in rescue and relief operations in Kerala.

Trained and experienced in flood rescue, the team including 225 fire service personnel, 15 supervisors and other officers left for Kerala in a special aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF) carrying 75 power boats and state-of-the-art equipment, said an official.

The team also carried underwater equipment, 10 tower lights, power saws, solar search lights, tents, 137 life buoy, 31 lifelines, 30 sleeping mats and other sophisticated gadgets to carry out rescue work, he said.

The chief minister further directed the special relief commissioner to remain in touch with the authorities and extend all the help to the people from Odisha who are stranded in Kerala.

Labour Department of Odisha has already rushed officials to Kerala to ensure the safety of Odia labourers affected by floods there.

Earlier, Odisha government today requested Kerala to provide necessary support and assistance to Odia people who are trapped in the devastating floods.

A list of 187 people of Odisha who have been trapped in recent floods in Kerala has been sent along with the letter written by Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Revenue and Disaster Management Department, S K Das, an official said.

The letter was sent to the Additional Chief Secretary in the Disaster Management Department of Kerala on the basis of information received by the state emergency operation centre at the Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) office here, the official said.

"It is requested to kindly make necessary arrangement for providing support in terms of food, drinking water and other necessities to these people," the letter said.