As many as 694 trained personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) along with 173 inflatable motorised boats have been deployed in Kurnool, Krishna and Mehboob Nagar districts of AP for rescue and relief operations. In addition, a team of 19 water rescue trained personnel and 20 inflatable boats from Palam airbase were airlifted on Sunday to Vijaywada (Krishna district), an official release said.
In Karnataka, the Centre has dispatched 249 NDRF personnel along with 73 inflatable motorised boats in Bagalkote, Raichur, Gadag and Bijapur districts. In addition, 250 trained personnel and 60 inflatable boats of NDRF from Gandhinagar have been kept ready to be airlifted based on the operational requirement and availability of aircraft, it said.
The army has deployed seven columns (approximately 700 personnel), three medical teams in AP, while three army columns and one medical team is assisting rescue and relief efforts in Karnataka. Twelve diving teams along with special boats have been aiding operations in AP, while additional four teams have been deployed in Vijaywada.
In Gadag and Karwar districts of Karnataka, four diving teams are aiding relief operations while an additional 22-member contingent is also deployed in Karwar. Five naval helicopters are on stand by at Vishakhapatnam to be deployed at Vijaywada. Two IL-76 aircraft, four AN-32 aircraft and 14 copters are deployed in the affected areas of AP and Karnataka.
The Centre has already released the first installment of Rs 156.83 crore from the Calamity Relief Fund to AP and a second installment of the same amount is required to be released in December. Karnataka has already received Rs 52.26 crore as the first installment of Central share of the Calamity Relief Fund and an equal amount is due in December. Senior Home ministry officials are in constant touch with state authorities.
Chidambaram is to visit flood affected Karnataka and AP on Monday for an assessment of the damage caused by the natural disaster. He is also expected to hold meetings with the Chief Ministers of both states -– B S Yeddyurappa (Karnataka) and K Rosaiah (AP) — and other top officials in Bangalore and Hyderabad, official sources here said. Home ministry officers are in constant touch with the state authorities and other agencies.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has allocated an amount of Rs 139.36 crore to the Calamity Relief Fund for Karnataka for 2009-10, comprising Rs 104.52 crore as Central contribution and Rs 34.84 crore as state contribution. The Centre has sent 249 personnel of NDRF for Karnataka along with 73 inflatable motorised boats deployed in the districts of Bagalkote, Raichur, Gadag and Bijapur.
Liked the story?
0
0
0
0
0
