Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 21 (IANS): Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Monday flew to rain-hit Malappuram to pay his last respects to those killed in the flash floods and landslips that struck parts of Wandoor and Nilambur Assembly constituencies.
Satheesan landed at the Karipur International Airport around 2.30 p.m. in a private chartered aircraft from Thiruvananthapuram, his office told IANS.
The Chief Minister will visit the affected areas and pay his last respects to the victims before taking stock of the situation in the rain-hit areas, the Chief Minister’s Office said.
He will return to Thiruvananthapuram later on Monday on the same chartered aircraft.
State Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty will accompany him on the return journey, the Chief Minister’s Office said.
The rain-related death toll in Kerala rose to nine on Monday after three more bodies were recovered from the Kottapuzha River in the Nilambur area of Malappuram.
Five people have now died in the flash flood in the area, while search operations are continuing for one person reported missing.
Two people each were killed in rain-related incidents in Idukki and Kottayam.
Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan expressed grief over the loss of nine lives and said he shared the sorrow of the families and the state.
At the same time, Vijayan alleged that the UDF government was continuing to show neglect towards disaster victims despite repeated natural calamities.
He said emergency financial assistance announced for flood victims in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts following the floods in the first week of August had still not been fully distributed.
The government had announced assistance of Rs 10,000 as immediate flood relief, Vijayan said.
In Alappuzha, more than 40,000 people had applied, but only 83 had received even half the announced amount, Rs 5,000, he alleged.
In Kottayam, even the collection of details of disaster victims had not been completed, he said. Vijayan also alleged that although the government had announced assistance for people who lost employment because of the rains, applications for the assistance had not even begun to be accepted despite one-and-a-half months having passed.
He demanded that the government immediately end what he described as a practice of making promises at the disaster site and ensure that the announced assistance was distributed without delay to all eligible victims.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has said the intense rainfall that triggered the latest flash floods and landslips was not a cloudburst.
IMD Thiruvananthapuram Director Nitha K. Gopal said very heavy rain over small areas within a short period had caused the sudden rise in water levels.
The IMD has warned that similar spells of intense rain over limited areas could occur in the coming days and advised people and local administrations to remain particularly vigilant in hilly areas.
