From volunteering in rescue operations to setting up helplines, and blood donation drives, the people of Kerala are doing their bit.
Published Jul 30, 2024 | 5:12 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 30, 2024 | 5:12 PM
Rescue and relief operations underway in Kerala's Wayanad. (Supplied)
Kerala is currently engaged in an extensive rescue operation in Wayanad. As of 3 pm, official reports confirm that the death toll has reached 83, with over 100 people still unaccounted for, according to Revenue Minister K Rajan’s office.
While the government efforts are in full force, the people of Kerala have also taken it upon themselves to do their part. From volunteering in rescue operations to setting up helplines, and blood donation drives, everyone are doing their bit.
Kerala Minister MB Rajesh said, that 250 individuals have been rescued and relocated to temporary shelters following the landslides that struck Wayanad’s Meppadi area early morning on Tuesday, 30 July.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said that Fire Force and NDRF teams have been deployed to the affected area, with an additional NDRF team en route to Wayanad.
Health Minister Veena George visited the Health Department Directorate to assess the arrangements for the Wayanad landslide. She instructed the concerned officials to accurately estimate the number of vacant beds in hospitals in the area.
George also instructed that temporary hospitals should be set up if need be, and also to assess the mortuary systems in hospitals. The minister further instructed them to utilize mobile mortuary services.
Veena George also took stock of the functioning of the control room.
George ordered that the control room should function around the clock, to assist health workers and the public, “The possibility of bringing in Rapid Action Medical Units (108 ambulances) from other states to the affected area should be explored.”
The health minister further ordered setting up and monitoring the functioning of relief camps. Addressing the senior health officials meeting, the minister emphasises that disease prevention is crucial and that health workers’ services should be ensured in the camps.
As the search operation led by NDRF is underway, the Health Minister’s Office noted that temporary hospital facilities will be established at a mosque and madrasa in Chooralmala, Wayanad, to aid in the ongoing relief efforts.
A temporary hospital system will also be established at Chooralmala Church and Polytechnic College.
Similarly, the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council in a statement said, they will work together with the government agencies and social organizations to speed up rescue operations.
“The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council will fully cooperate with government efforts to provide solace to the victims. We will work together with diocesan teams and volunteers in the affected areas to provide physical assistance, comfort, and courage to overcome the crisis.”
Further expressing condolences, the statement read, “We pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the landslides in Chooralmala and Mundakkai areas of Meppadi region in Wayanad district.”
Local Self Government Minister MB Rajesh announced that employment guarantee workers will also be deployed in disaster relief operations.
Workers can be assigned to remove soil from areas with minor landslides, clear roadblocks, and clean drains. The services of employment guarantee workers can also be utilized to remove garbage and silt flowing into public spaces.
The CPI (M) has announced that its supporters will actively participate in the rescue and relief operations in Wayanad, which is grappling with the crisis.
According to CPI (M) state secretary MV Govindan, party supporters will be deployed to provide all necessary assistance in Wayanad and other affected areas.
A similar decision has also been made by other political parties like the Congress, CPI, BJP and others.
Reminding of the collective efforts of the people of Kerala during the 2018 Kerala floods, social media has once again become instrumental in managing and coordinating relief efforts.
Major media houses have established their own helplines in addition to the government-run control rooms to streamline assistance.
During the Kerala floods, social media platforms played a crucial role in disseminating real-time updates about the disaster.
Volunteers from across the Malabar region are actively participating in relief operations, including blood donation drives.
Organizations such as Kerala Blood Net and Blood Donors Kerala are leading these efforts, ensuring that hospitals receive the necessary blood supplies.
This collective response highlights the significant role of both media and volunteer networks in managing emergencies and providing vital support during crises.
The control room is operating under the direct control of the State Police Chief and can be contacted through these numbers: 9497900402, or 0471 2721566.
The Health Department and National Health Mission also have set up a control room in Wayanad, and can be contacted on these numbers: 9656938689 or 8086010833.
Other helplines
The army is deploying two teams of 200 soldiers each, supported by the Defense Security Corps (DSC) from Kannur and medical teams from the military hospital in Kannur.
Additionally, territorial army personnel from Kozhikode and two helicopters from Sulloor have been dispatched to aid in the operation.
The Indian Navy has sent a 50-member team, including river-crossing specialists from the 7th Naval Academy, to assist with the rescue efforts.
The forest department’s drone will also join the search operations.
On state’s request, expertly-trained dogs from the Army’s elite canine unit of breeds such as Belgian Malinois, Labradors, and German Shepherds, which can smell human remains and even the faintest of breath buried deep under mud, are on their way to the landslide-ravaged Meppadi in Wayanad.
These dogs have been trained for several years at the prestigious Remount Veterinary Corps Centre (RVC) in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
“These dogs are experts in rescuing people from disaster-struck areas and the canine team will be arriving soon at Wayanad,” the Defence Ministry PRO said.
On earlier occasions too, the Army’s dogs have helped the authorities dig out bodies from landslide sites at Kavalappara and Puthumala in Kerala.
The Nilambur District Hospital is currently housing 15 bodies and eight body parts recovered from the Chaliyar River.
The recovered bodies include eight men, six women, and one boy. In an unusual move, the facility has arranged to store these bodies in a freezer, bypassing standard mortuary procedures, owing to the high number of dead bodies.
The discovery has raised significant concern and attention, as the authorities work to identify the deceased and determine the circumstances leading to their deaths.
The bypass of traditional mortuary practices is a notable deviation, intended to preserve the condition of the bodies for forensic investigation.
The situation remains under close scrutiny by local law enforcement and forensic experts as they continue their investigation.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
