Over 1,000 people rescued in flood-hit Kanyakumari

Army, Navy and Coast Guard deployed for relief operations

Over 100 villages in the district had been cut off from the rest of Tamil Nadu. The surging flood waters also inundated the Ayappan Temple in Marthandam. “The help of two Army units, besides one naval unit and coast guard contingent was sought to assist the administration in relief and rescue operations,” Kanyakumari District Collector Rajendra Ratnoo said.

“Luckily the rain stopped last evening (Wednesday) and the flood waters have begun to recede fast,” Ratnoo told Deccan Herald over phone.

A 150-strong group of local fishermen also joined hands with about 100 service personnel from the Army, Navy and Coast Guard to rescue efforts. About 100 boats were pressed into operation. One Naval helicopter did an aerial surveillance to map the flood-hit areas besides dropping emergency food packets. Four other Air Force helicopters were also put on standby.

“Not a single life was lost and in all we evacuated nearly 7,000 people and accommodated them in safer places,” Ratnoo said, adding the water discharges from the dams in Kanyakumari district was drastically reduced on Thursday.

Tamil Nadu government has sought an urgent grant of Rs 1,607 crores for relief works from the Centre’s National Calamity Relief Fund.