Toll goes up to 28 in Kerala; 40 feared trapped in 2 major landslides
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 9: Torrential rains continued to lash most parts of Kerala on Friday with the toll in the last three days rising to 28 in monsoon-related incidents, including two massive landslides, and over 64,000 people being shifted to relief camps.
At least 40 people are feared trapped under debris in major landslides that shook the badly affected districts of Wayanad and Malappuram, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
A year after Kerala was devastated by the deadliest monsoon that led to the worst deluge in a century, the southern state was again at the receiving end of the nature's fury, prompting the government to seek the help of the Army and the Air Force.
Heavy rains triggered landslides while overflowing rivers caused flooding in several parts with the worst affected being hilly Wayanad, Malappuram, Kannur and Idukki in north and central Kerala.
Vijayan, who reviewed the flood situation on Friday evening, told mediapersons that 28 people lost their lives in the last three days and seven were missing.
Twentyseven people have been injured in the rain-related incidents in various parts of the state, he added.
The Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad was likely to be opened any time in view of rising water level, Vijayan said.
A total of 738 relief camps have been opened across the state with over 64,000 people displaced from their houses by the floods and rains being shifted there.
Rescue and relief operations were on in full swing with the involvement of personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Police, the Fireforce and forest department.
Rail, road and air transport took a hit in the state with several trains being cancelled and the Cochin International Airport shut till August 11 due to water logging in almost 60 per cent region of its operational area.
All flights have been diverted to the state capital for next two days.
Seven dams of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and six of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) have been opened in view of heavy inflows, officials said.
Landslides and mud-slips have been reported from over 25 places in the state.
Kavalapara near Nilambur in Malappuram District suffered heavy loss with nearly 40 houses being washed away due to a massive landslide, officials said.
Several people are feared missing from the hilly region.
"We have retrieved three bodies from the area. Since the whole area was washed out, we were unable to ascertain the actual loss," a district revenue official told PTI.
The officials said they had earlier asked the locals to move out of the area due to imminent danger of landslide but most of them were reluctant to shift, he said.
Vijayan said that in Kavalapara, at least 17 families had shifted to relief camps after being alerted about the danger of landslide by the authorities.
However, some of the families had refused to move away from their homes and the 'worst' was being feared.
"We have a very unfortunate example. Some people shifted but some didn't. However, all those who had stayed back are feared to have lost their life," he said appealing to those staying near flood-prone areas to shift to relief camps.
On the Thursday evening major landslide in Meppadi in Wayanad, officials said they suspected nearly 70 houses could have been damaged.
Nine bodies were recovered on Friday by the rescue personnel from the landslide spot, they said.
"The evacuation process and the rescue operation are still going on," officials said adding they were yet to ascertain the full gravity of the situation.
They also said the landslides in Meppadi and Kavalapara had affected nearly 100 acres of land and incessant rain was hampering the rescue operations.
Vijayan said the state government has allotted Rs 22.5 crore for immediate assistance in flood-hit areas.
Official sources said most of the towns in the Malabar region of the state are under sheets of water.
Sreekandapuram in Kannur and adjacent areas have been submerged. Likewise, the famous Parassinikadavu temple in Kannur district has been inundanted with people being rescued in country-boats.
Vijayan said at most places, water level has gone higher than the floods of last year.
"We also have a situation where the Banasura Sagar Dam has to be opened. The water level will (further) rise. We are receiving heavy outflow of water from Karnataka. Wayanad has also been receiving heavy rains. We also have threat of landslides," he said.
In the wake of the serious situation, the Chief Minister urged government employees, on leave, to report back for duty and coordinate in the relief operations.
"Most of the train services in the state have been hit.
We are doing all possible means to restore the services. Some trains have been stranded en route. We have also taken necessary steps to take the people to their destinations," he said.
The MET department has issued a red alert in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod Districts of the state for Friday and in Ernakulam, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannurfor August 10.
The heavy unabated rains since the past few days have hit the state which is yet to fully recover from the extensive damage caused by the August, 2018 delgue that claimed over 400 lives and left lakhs of people homeless.
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Women''s Bill: Stalin says proposal amid polls raises suspicion; backs 33 per cent reservation
Chennai (PTI): Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday alleged that the proposed amendment to ensure 33 per cent reservation for women in the midst of polls in states including Tamil Nadu appeared to be yet another political manoeuvre aimed at shaping electoral narratives.
Stalin alleged the timing for the proposed amendment led to serious suspicion.
"Why push such a far-reaching decision in the middle of state elections. This appears to be yet another political manoeuvre aimed at shaping electoral narratives, much like earlier attempts to influence women voters ahead of the 2024 Parliament elections," he alleged in a statement titled "This is not reform, this is reengineering power."
Further, he said: "Let me be unequivocal: we strongly support 33 per cent reservation for women. Our support is absolute. But it must be implemented without increasing seats and without punishing states that acted responsibly. If the intent is genuine, nothing prevents immediate implementation within the existing framework."
Demanding fair delimitation, he alleged there was complete opacity on the basis for delimitation and asked would the exercise rely on 1971 figures from a pre–population control era or the 2021 Census. "Conflicting signals and vague assurances only deepen suspicion." This move would also impose a massive financial burden on states, forcing them to expand or rebuild Legislative Assemblies, all without proper consultation.
"This is a direct assault on cooperative federalism. This is not reform, it is a unilateral, politically driven exercise designed to concentrate power, weaken Parliament, marginalise the South, and undermine social justice," he alleged. "The nation deserves answers: why this undue haste, why shift the goalposts, and who truly stands to benefit."
The NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is systematically eroding the very foundations of Parliament, he alleged.
The Dravidian party chief claimed: "What should be a vibrant forum for debate and accountability is being reduced to a hollow ritual, a stage where members may not even get fair time to speak or represent their people. This proposal to increase seats is a direct contradiction of their own slogan of minimum government, maximum governance. It will only inflate expenditure, burden taxpayers, and dilute the quality of parliamentary functioning."
This also went against the spirit of Article 1 of the Constitution, which defines India as a Union of States. Ignoring the voices of states and bypassing meaningful consultation is not democratic - it is unitary overreach that undermines the country's federal and plural character.
More alarmingly, this exercise will blatantly skew representation and tilt the balance of power in favour of northern states dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party, while silencing the voice of south India, he claimed.
"As forcefully pointed out by veteran leader Siddaramaiah (Karnataka CM), this is not a neutral exercise; it is a calculated political restructuring. Northern states stand to gain nearly double the (Parliamentary) seats, while the South’s share stagnates at around 24 per cent. This is nothing short of penalising states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Keralam and Telangana for their success in population control."
Chief Ministers across the South, including Siddaramaiah, Pinarayi Vijayan and A Revanth Reddy have rightly warned that this move will distort federalism and concentrate power in a few regions, the DMK president alleged.
PM Modi said on Thursday that the proposed amendments to the Women Reservation Act are not just a legislative exercise but a reflection of the aspirations of crores of women across India and urged all MPs to come together to support this significant move.
He had last week announced an extension of the Budget session of Parliament by three days, from April 16 to 18, so that the Women's Reservation Act can be amended for its implementation from 2029.
