Navy rescues 500 in flood-hit Kerala
Kochi, Aug 17: The Indian Navy rescued nearly 500 people on Friday, continuing with its massive rescue and relief operations in flood-ravaged Kerala where monsoon rains have left a trail of death and destruction across the state.
On Friday, 58 rescue teams were deployed at multiple locations as part of "Operation Madad" launched nine days ago.
According to officials it is unprecedented in the history of rescue operations by the Navy as the flood situation continued to remain grim all across the southern state.
More than 3,000 people have been rescued since floods hit Kerala 10 days ago, an official spokesperson said.
Efforts continued to bring the flood affected people to safety and also provide them essential supplies such as food and water, the spokesperson said.
The Southern Naval Command on Friday deployed a total of 58 rescue and diving teams with Gemini boats while 18 more teams were sent to various locations to augment the rescue effort.
The spokesperson said 19 teams of rescuers came from the Eastern Naval Command and Western Naval Command.
"Some 500 rescued people have been accommodated at the T2 hangar inside the naval base, a make-shift relief camp, before shifting them to a relief camp at Fort Kochi. (On Friday), 310 people were rescued by the boats and 176 by aircraft," the spokesperson said.
"All the assets of (Southern Naval Command) have been committed to the operation. Other commands have provided additional disaster relief items comprising 1,000 raincoats, 1,300 gumboots, 264 lifebuoys and 1,000 life jackets. Twenty five more rescue teams with boats are being readied for deployment as per request from the Kerala government."
The spokesperson said 37 teams with one Gemini boat each were deployed at various places in Ernakulam district.
One team was at Pizhala island, one at Edappally and three at Perumbavoor. North Paravur has 16 teams deployed while 12 are at Aluva and four at Muvattupuzha.
In the Thrissur district, the deployment at Chalakudy was augmented to nine teams, while in Pathanamthitta district, four teams were deployed at Chengannur and one team each at Ayroor and Pollad. One team is positioned at Kottayam.
"In addition, all air assets available at INS Garuda have been extensively utilised for winching up stranded personnel, transfer of stores, boats, relief material. Air rescue has been carried out at various places of the three badly affected districts -- Thrissur, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta.
"Aircraft including ALH, Sea King, Chetak and MI 17 (of IAF) were able to rescue people (stranded in flood). Food was airdropped on the rooftops of various houses, churches. A total of 50 air sorties amounting to 80 hours have been flown," said the spokesperson.
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SGPC writes to Mann, seeks ban on 'Emergency' in Punjab a day before release
Amritsar, Jan 16 (PTI): The SGPC on Thursday wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, seeking a ban on the release of Kangana Ranaut's movie 'Emergency' saying it "tarnishes" the image of Sikhs and "misrepresents" history.
Actor and BJP MP Ranaut's 'Emergency' is slated to release in cinemas on January 17.
In the letter to Mann, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed strong objection to Ranaut's film.
Dhami said that if the film is released in Punjab, it will spark "outrage and anger" in the Sikh community and therefore it is the responsibility of the government to ban its release in the state.
The SGPC, an apex gurdwara body, had earlier also protested the film.
"It has come to our attention that the movie 'Emergency' produced by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is going to be released on 17th January 2025 in cinemas in different cities of Punjab and the tickets have also started to be booked," its letter to Mann read.
Dhami said the SGPC had also protested the release of the movie in a letter to the Punjab Chief Secretary on November 14 last year.
"But it is sad that the Punjab government has not taken any step till now. If this film is released on January 17, 2025, then it is natural to create outrage and anger in the Sikh world," the current letter read.
Dhami said the SGPC will submit a letter also to all the deputy commissioners in Punjab, seeking a ban on the film in the state.
The SGPC denounced the "character assassination" of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the Khalistani militant killed in 1984 in a military operation.
"If this film is released in Punjab, we will be forced to strongly oppose it at the state level," Dhami said.
In August last year, the SGPC sent a legal notice to the producers of the 'Emergency' film, alleging that it "misrepresented" the character and history of Sikhs, and asked them to remove the objectionable scenes depicting "anti-Sikh" sentiments.
In the notice, the producers of the film, including Kangana Ranaut, were asked to remove the trailer released on August 14 from all public and social media platforms and tender a written apology to the Sikh community.
The SGPC objected to film writing separate letters to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification.
