As part of the efforts to extend a helping hand to flood-affected Kerala, the Central Railway and Western Railway on Sunday sent over 23 lakh litres of drinking water to the southern state by special trains.

The water train consists of 14 wagons (containing 7 lakh litres of water) filled up in Pune and 15 wagons (containing 7.5 lakh litres of water) that came from Ratlam, Milind Deouskar, Divisional Railway Manager, Pune Division, said. The Western Railway (WR) has sent a special train carrying nine lakh litres of drinking water. 

The Central Railway's train will reach Kayamkulam in Kerala via Daund, Wadi and Renugunta, while the Western Railway's will reach Palakkad.

"The train, with 15 coaches, carries around nine lakh litres of drinking water. It left for from Ratlam (in Madhya Pradesh) on Saturday," a statement said.

It also added that due to heavy rains and landslides in various places in Thiruvananthapuram and Palghat divisions, train no. 16338 between Ernakulam to Okha was cancelled on Saturday.

As a result train no 16337, Okha-Ernakulam train starting from Okha on August 20, has also been cancelled, the release added.