With heavy rains keeping away from vulnerable areas, though with exceptions, the overall situation in the flood-ravaged Kerala has improved on the fifth day on Sunday. But isolated areas of Chengannur, Thiruvalla, Chalakkudi, Mala in Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts as well as the low-lying Kuttanad continued to witness misery and pitiable conditions.

Stranded people

The State Revenue Department has assessed that at least 5,000 people are stranded in and around flooded Chengannur and Naval choppers are operating rescue sorties in the area. About 19 rescue teams are operating in Chengannur today, while 17 are in Thiruvalla, nine in Kodungallur, and five in Chalakkdi.

Floodwaters have receded from Aluva from where the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is operating to Thrissur every 15 minutes. But the Kochi-Panvel (Mumbai) highway remains flooded at Varapuzha.

The 'red alert' has been withdrawn from all districts with weather improving overnight, but a 'yellow alert' is valid for Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts today.

Apart from the 5,000 people believed to be stranded in the Chengannur, Pandanad, and Venmoni areas, another 2,000 are waiting to be rescued at Nelliampathy in Palakkad. Drinking water and food would be airdropped to these people today, according to revenue authorities, and a number of them would be evacuated by the evening.

Facing resistance

But rescuers are facing some resistance from the stranded people with some of them refusing to be airlifted. Instead, they have indicated that they are happy with food, water and medicine supplies. The landslip-hit Idukki district is trying hard to attain normalcy but has a tough time with roads remaining blocked and communication lines down.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said last night that the death of at least 33 more people were recorded yesterday, which includes bodies found floating at a number of places. The toll in monsoon-related events from May 29 until yesterday was 357 (not accounting for the 33 declared dead yesterday), while standing crop over 40,000 hectares has been destroyed.

At least 1,000 houses have been swept away with another 26,000 houses suffering partial damages. There were 3.53 lakh people accommodated in over 3,000 relief camps across the State.

At least two lakh domesticated birds (poultry) perished, while 46,000 cattle were swept away in the floods. The badly damaged road network in the State have suffered an estimated loss of Rs 13,000 crore, the Chief Minister said.

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