Kerala floods: Govt, armed forces commend each other for relief operations

Flood-ravaged Kerala seems to have been able to find its moorings after five days of a stupendous rescue and relief operations which were well-coordinated among various stakeholders.

While the daredevilry of the Army, Navy and the Air Force, the Coast Guard and the National Disaster Response Force is part of folklore, they have in turn lauded the civil administration's role in the efforts. Yesterday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had, on behalf of the State's population, extended thanks to the forces and other stakeholders for their fulsome contribution to the massive exercise.

'Striking differences'

An Army officer at the forefront of rescue and relief operations at Kochi went out of the way to commend the participation of the civil administration in the relief and rescue efforts. There is no doubt the armed forces have been doing a tremendous job and it has to be acknowledged, the officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

He was able to find 'striking differences' in this mission from similar operations carried out at the disaster front in Srinagar, Chennai, Uttaranchal and Mumbai. Firstly, to the credit of the civil administration, it has also been right in the front and has been operating along with the public effectively.

Unlike other places where these officials would hide themselves and were unwilling to show themselves to the public, here they were shoulder to shoulder with all affected people in Kerala.Secondly, youngsters had on their own taken on the task of organising the efforts. IT companies had given out their people off, to work on relief and rescue operations.

'Software programmes'

These people had created all sorts of software programmes to coordinate the efforts. The place they coordinated from teemed with youngsters who brought in needed supplies and other essentials. The officer recounted the experience from his own flat complex where young ladies had overnight collected over Rs 3 lakh and were supplying packed food.

Thirdly, the fishermen community had on their own transported their boats and were rescuing the stranded. Similarly, others also had formed their own little organisations for relief and rescue operations.

Unlike in other places, the population in general did not wait idly for the government machinery to launch into action. The officer said he found tremendous happiness having seen all the groups work together without any sense of religion or caste or other divisions.

He had gone to a church with rations but he was directed us to a temple as there were more people camping there. Given such an attitude from the public, this country has a good future, he said.

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