Page 559 - Disaster Accident
No provision to declare a disaster as 'national calamity': Centre
The Centre informed the Kerala High Court today there was no legal provision to declare a disaster as a national calamity, amid demands for declaring the floods as a national disaster. In an affidavit, the Centre said it has treated the flood situation in Kerala as a "Disaster of Serious Nature" and has categorised the same as 'L3 Level of Disaster' under the National Disaster Management Guidelines. "It is submitted that there is no provision in statutes or manuals to declare a disaster as a 'national calamity', howsoever big it may be. "It is only an expression used in general parlance," the Centre said. The affidavit was filed in a response to a petition filed for declaring the floods as a national disaster. Besides Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the state and the opposition Congress had wanted the Centre to declare the floods a 'national disaster'. At least 216 people have lost their lives in the rains, floods and landslides in Kerala. ...
CJI, SC judges to contribute Rs. 25,000 each towards Kerala relief fund
The Chief Justice of India and judges of the Supreme Court are contributing Rs 25,000 each towards Kerala flood relief fund. The money will be deposited in the Kerala Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund.
Godavari, Krishna in spate; AP on high alert
With the Godavari and Krishna rivers in spate following rains, the government machinery is on high alert and hundreds of villagers on the banks have been shifted to safer places as many hamlets were inundated, officials said today. No loss of life or damage to property has been reported, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). Krishna, the second major river in Andhra Pradesh, was in spate as incessant rain in Krishna and Guntur districts over the last two days resulted in a surge in water flow in many rivulets that empty into the river. As many as 28 villages in the two Godavari districts were affected by surging waters and several hundreds of villagers evacuated. The intensity of the flow had lessened in Godavari a couple of days back but it again picked up today and the surging water entered villages on the banks. Standing crops in hundreds of acres in the two districts have been inundated, according to officials. Chief Minister N Chandrababu ...
Heavy to very heavy rainfall likely in coastal Andhra, Telangana
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in coastal Andhra Pradesh for next 48 hours, informed Dr. K. Nagarathnam, Scientist 'D' at the Meteorological Department, Hyderabad.Speaking to ANI, he said, "In next 48 hours coastal Andhra Pradesh will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in most of the districts. Under the influence of upper air cyclonic circulation, in next 48 hours Telangana state will also receive widespread rainfall in all the parts of the state."Scientist Nagarathnam also talked about the latest rainfall pattern in the region and the reason behind it. He said, "Northern coastal area of Andhra Pradesh received heavy rainfall in last 24hours due to the low-pressure area lying in Odisha, West Bengal and its adjoining areas in North West Bay of Bengal. West Godavari, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and some parts of Krishna and Guntur districts have received heavy rainfall".Andhra Pradesh's neighbouring state Karnataka and southern coastal state of Kerala have been .
Amarinder appeals to Punjabis to support relief efforts in rain-hit Kerala
Days after announcing Rs 10 crore relief to rain-ravaged Kerala, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh appealed to all Punjabis to come forward and do their bit to help the southern state cope with the unprecedented calamity. The death toll in Kerala has mounted to 216. Even as rains abated and rescue operations were in the final stages, the flood-hit state was faced with the gigantic task of rehabilitating lakhs of people rendered homeless and preventing outbreak of diseases. Over 7.24 lakh displaced people have been sheltered in 5,645 relief camps dotting the state. "Every Punjabi should come out in support of the state government's efforts to help out the flood-ravaged people of Kerala, who were facing tumultuous times as a result of the unparalleled flood situation," Amarinder Singh said. Three planeload of over 90 MT of relief material has been dispatched from Halwara IAF Station by the Air Force's transport aircraft, an official spokesperson said here. In addition, one C-17 ..
Kerala needs electricians, carpenters, plumbers: Alphons
Saying flood relief was running "very well", Union Minister K.J. Alphons said on Monday that Kerala needed thousands of electricians, carpenters and plumbers to repair and rebuild damaged homes and buildings.
Assam regularly hit by floods, can relate to Kerala pain: CM
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said Assam can relate to the pain caused by the devastating flood in Kerala, as his state is faced with a similar plight every year. "We can very well internalise the pain perpetrated by the flood to the people of Kerala, as the people of Assam face such kind of fury every year," Sonowal said in a statement. Assam has already announced a financial aid of Rs 3 crore for flood-ravaged Kerala. "Looking into the large-scale devastation caused by the flood, our contribution might look meagre. However, we sincerely realise the intense sufferings caused to the people and the mammoth task of rehabilitation that the state faces. "Seeing the deluge and the sufferings of the people of Kerala, the soreness of the people of Majuli (in Assam), the largest river island comes to my mind and I, pledge to share the sufferings of my brothers and sisters in Kerala as I do with the brothers and sisters back home in Assam," he said. Sonowal also thanked .
Karna Minister flings biscuits at flood-hit, Video goes viral
Karnataka Minister H D Revanna courted a controversy after a video purportedly showing him flinging biscuit packets at flood victims in a relief camp in Hassan district went viral today. Revanna, PWD Minister and brother of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, was seen picking biscuit packets and hurling them at the people sheltered in the relief camp. As the video clip went viral in the social media besides being aired by TV channels, netizens termed Revanna's action as 'insensitive'. Defending him, JDS leaders, including his son Prajwal Revanna, said he was "a humble" person and wanted to help the flood-hit people at the camp. "My father is a humble person. Since he has concern for the marooned, he had visited relief camps to given them succour," Prajwal Revanna told reporters. Several districts in Karnatka have been hit by heavy rains in the past several days.
JK BJP to send activists, funds for flood-hit Kerala
The BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit will send its activists and relief to the flood-hit areas of Kerala, the party's state president Ravinder Raina said today. More than 200 people have died and over 7.24 lakh have been displaced following floods and landslips in Kerala, which has been ravaged by heavy rains in the last one week. "In this hour of devastating floods in Kerala, J&K BJP will send its activists to serve in the flood hit areas of Kerala. We will contribute in the state of Kerala by collecting funds across the state," he said addressing a meeting of party leaders here. Raina, while paying tributes to former prime minister A B Vajpayee apprised the meeting that multiple 'Asthi Kalash' of the departed leader would be distributed to all the BJP state presidents on August 22 at party headquarters in New Delhi. "The 'Asthi Kalash' will be taken to all the mighty rivers of the nation. In Jammu and Kashmir, 'Asthi Kalash' will be immersed in the Tawi, Jhelum and Sindhu," Raina ...
Indian diaspora in China donates Rs 14 lakh for Kerala flood relief
The Indian diaspora in China in association with the Malayalee Association has raised over Rs 14 lakh for the welfare of flood relief victims in Kerala. In Beijing, the Malayalee Association along with the Indian Community of Beijing (ICB) raised 50,000 yuan (about Rs five lakh) at a get together here yesterday. Suresh Varma, president of the Beijing Malayalee Association, said the money is being routed to the Chief Minister's relief fund in Kerala through the Indian Embassy here. The funds were collected at a special platform setup at the Indian restaurant Taj Pavilion with a lunch and donated the to Kerala relief fund, said M H Pastakia, ICB member. In Yiwu, the international consumer trade hub which has a large Indian diaspora, the Indian community raised about 80,000 yuan (Rs eight lakh) to be donated to the relief fund. In Shanghai, the Indian association has so far raised 20,000 yuan (Rs two lakh) to be sent to the Kerala relief fund, member Amit Waiker said. The Indian Embassy .
Need electricians, plumbers, carpenters to bring Kerala to its feet: Alphons
Flood-ravaged Kerala needs electricians, plumbers, and carpenters to bring it back to normalcy, Union minister K J Alphons said today. At least 216 people have lost their lives in the floods and landslides triggered by 10 days of torrential rainfall in the state which has displaced over 7.24 lakh people. They have now been sheltered in 5,645 relief camps. "There'll be no electricity in homes. Carpentry, plumbing would be gone. We need hundreds and thousands of electricians, plumbers and carpenters to rush to Kerala. People with technical capabilities are required to put life back into Kerala," tweeted the Union minister for tourism. Earlier today, both Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan jointly appealed to parliamentarians to contribute "generously" from their MPLADS funds for relief and rehabilitation works in flood-ravaged Kerala. The two also appealed to the lawmakers to consider "donating" a month's salary for the cause. Relief items ...
Ker floods; Times Network initiates fund raising campaign
The Times Network, part of The Times Group, today said it has initiated a fund-raising campaign, 'India For Kerala' to create awareness and raise funds towards relief efforts for those hit by the heavy rains and floods. Through this initiative, Times Network strives to give the cause a unified voice and encourage the nation to join hands and contribute to support Kerala, the company said in a release here. The 'India For Kerala' initiative seeks to help people who have been affected by the deluge that hit Kerala,it added. Speaking on this initiative, M K Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said "through this initiative, we aim to offer a nationwide reach to a pained plea to all Indians to step forward and donate to this task of relief and rehabilitation." The deadly monsoon rains in Kerala have claimed 216 lives since August 8 and has displaced over 7.14 lakh people from their homes.
RS Chairman, LS Speaker appeal to MPs to contribute 'generously' for flood-hit Kerala
The Rajya Sabha chairman and the Lok Sabha speaker today jointly appealed to parliamentarians to contribute "generously" from their MPLADS funds for relief and rehabilitation works in flood-ravaged Kerala. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, read out the appeal signed by him and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, in presence of senior officers and the press at his official residence here. The two also appealed to the lawmakers to consider donating a month's salary for the cause. "Keeping in view the intensity and magnitude of the floods in Kerala, the government has declared this a calamity of a 'severe nature'," Naidu said. More than 200 people have died and over 7.24 lakh have been displaced following floods and landslips in Kerala, which has been ravaged by heavy rains in the last one week. "Hon'ble Members are aware that there has been large-scale devastation in various parts of Kerala due to floods in the state in which many people have ..
SC judges to contribute to Kerala flood relief fund: CJI
Twenty five Supreme Court judges would contribute in the relief funds for the victims of flood in Kerala which has seen the large scale devastation of lives and properties, Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra today said. A bench of the CJI and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud made this observation during the hearing of a PIL in which it was contemplating imposing a cost of Rs 25 lakh on a litigant for filing an "improper application" in a PIL on which the verdict has already been reserved. Attorney General K K Venugopal, who termed the matter a fit case for initiation of contempt proceedings, also advised that the cost, to be imposed, to be given to the Kerala Chief Minister's flood relief fund. "We are also making some contribution in the fund... the judges of this court would also make their contribution for the relief of the victims," the CJI told Venugopal, who recently hogged the limelight by announcing that he would be contributing Rs one crore to the Kerala Chief ...
Multiple quakes rock Indonesia's Lombok island, 10 dead
At least 10 people are dead after a string of powerful quakes rocked the Indonesian holiday island of Lombok, authorities said today, in a fresh blow just weeks after earlier tremors left hundreds dead and thousands more homeless. The latest quakes struck yesterday, with the first measuring 6.3 shortly before midday. It triggered landslides and sent people fleeing for cover as parts of Lombok suffered blackouts. It was followed nearly 12 hours later by a 6.9-magnitude quake and a string of powerful aftershocks. The picturesque island next to holiday hotspot Bali was already reeling from two deadly quakes on July 29 and August 5 that killed nearly 500 people. Ten people were killed in the strong quake Sunday evening, mostly by falling debris, including six people on the neighbouring island of Sumbawa, according to the national disaster agency. Some two dozen people were injured in Lombok and more than 150 homes and places of worship damaged, the agency said. Tens of thousands of homes,
Raj govt staff donate one day salary for Kerala relief
The government employees in Rajasthan have decided to contribute their one day salary to the Kerala flood relief fund. The IAS Officers Association of the state, too, would contribute to the relief fund. All officers and employees of the Rajasthan Assembly secretariat have announced to donate one day salary for the people affected in Kerala on the appeal of Speaker Kailash Meghwal, Secretary Dinesh Kumar Jain said. State Chief Secretary D B Gupta said, "IAS officers are with the people affected in Kerala and would donate one day salary for flood-affected people in the southern state". Meanwhile, the state unit of the Congress has sent two trucks of relief material to Kerala. The trucks were flagged-off by state Congress chief Sachin Pilot.
Kerala floods declared 'calamity of severe nature'
The massive flood in Kerala has been declared a calamity of severe nature, the Home Ministry said today. "Keeping in view the intensity and magnitude of the floods and landslides in Kerala, this is a calamity of a severe nature for all practical purposes," a home ministry official said. At least 216 people have lost their lives in the rains, floods and landslides in Kerala where over 7.24 lakh displaced people have been sheltered in 5,645 relief camps.
Jharkhand CM appeals to people to help flood victims of Kerala
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today appealed to the people of the state to help the flood victims of Kerala. "The entire country is shocked by the terrible floods and devastation in Kerala. In this hour of sadness entire Jharkhand along with the whole country is standing firm with Kerala," an official release said quoting Das. Jharkhand government on Saturday had announced Rs 5 crore as assistance to Kerala for support of the flood-affected people there. "The state government is sending Rs 5 crore from Chief Minister's Relief Fund to Kerala," Das said while appealing to the people and social welfare organisations to come forward to help the flood victims at the time of this tragedy. A Malayali association in Jamshedpur has decided to cancel Onam celebrations this year in view of the devastating floods in Kerala. More than 200 people have died and over 7.24 lakh have been displaced following floods and landslips in Kerala, which has been ravaged by heavy rains in .
Facebook donates Rs 1.75 crore for Kerala flood victims
Social networking giant Facebook is donating $250,000 (nearly Rs 1.75 crore) for relief work in Kerala, which has been battered by torrential rains, floods and landslides, leaving over 300 dead amid massive destruction, the company said on Monday.
AP govt employees donate Rs 20 cr for Kerala flood relief
: Andhra Pradesh government employees and pensioners today announced a donation of Rs 20 crore towards flood relief in Kerala. State government employees, teachers and pensioners will pool the amount and donate it to Kerala Chief Ministers Disaster Relief Fund, according to AP Non-Gazetted Officers Association president P Ashok Babu. A delegation of NGO leaders met Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu here and requested that a proportionate amount be deducted from their salary and pension for August and credited to the Kerala CMDRF. IAS Officers Association of AP also announced contribution of one day's salary towards flood relief in Kerala. Association general secretary Shashi Bhushan Kumar expressed anguish over the flood havoc and hoped the state would recover soon. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister spoke to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan again this afternoon and complimented the latter over the rescue and relief operations.