Kerala landslides: Search operations continue for 10th day
Wayanad (Kerala) (PTI): Search operations in the landslides-hit areas of this north Kerala district continued for the 10th day with more cadaver dogs being pressed into service on Thursday to look for remains buried deep under the debris that cover the disaster sites.
Using Air Force helicopters to drop special search teams to inaccessible areas along the Chaliyar river and deploying more rescuers, heavy machines and K9 dog squads in the segregated six zones of disaster-hit Chooralmala and Mundakkai continued.
Till Wednesday, the number of persons suspected to be missing in the landslides was around 138 with more than 226 confirmed to be dead.
Besides that, 192 body parts were also recovered from the disaster-hit areas and the Chaliyar river till August 7, according to figures provided by the Wayanad district administration.
As the search operations progress, the state government is also working to ensure temporary rehabilitation of those affected by the landslides.
A cabinet sub-committee, camped out at Wayanad, on Wednesday said that the rehabilitation will be carried out in three phases.
The first phase will involve immediate, but temporary settlement of the victims and survivors to vacant houses, quarters, flats and hostels within the panchayat limits of the affected areas or nearby panchayats.
Additionally, rental houses or flats will be found and provided at government expense, the committee had said.
Buildings and facilities under the government will also be utilised for this purpose, it had said.
The temporary rehabilitation is being carried out to free the schools where relief camps are being run in order to resume classes there, the committee had said.
The second phase would involve the implementation of a temporary transit home system before people are shifted to their permanent homes.
For this, suitable places will be found and accommodations will be prepared using prefab technology, the committee had further said.
The township project with all facilities, as part of the complete rehabilitation, will be implemented in the third phase, it had said.
Amidst the search and rescue operations and phased rehabilitation, the government is also working to restore the identification and other documentation as well as certificates of the people who lost all that in the landslides, the committee had said.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
