NDRF to assist relief work in rain-hit coastal areas

A special unit from the Arakkonam-based battalion of the National Disaster Response Force will arrive here within a few days to help tackle the crisis situation caused by the strong monsoon rains in the coastal areas of Kerala's capital.
The 24-member contingent would be led by Commandant M K Verma, an Assistant Commandant, four team commanders and 18 personnel, a release from the office of Union Minister of state for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor, who represents the capital in the Lok Sabha, said.
The team would visit affected areas, make assessments, consult police, revenue and other officials and work out a long-term programme for relief work.

There had been a number of incidents of damage to houses and erosion of beaches due to inundation of many stretches along the coast during the past few days.
Tharoor had spoken to state Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash and District Collector K N Satheesh about the need to undertake relief measures on a war-footing.
The minister had informed Tharoor that since the central calamity fund could not be used for destruction caused by sea erosion, the state had to depend on its limited sources to tackle the situation.
Tharoor took up the issue with the Union Minister of State for Home R P N Singh, the operational chief of the National Disaster Corps and urged him to revise the list of calamities covered under the Fund to include sea erosion.

A decision was also taken to rush a unit of the NDRF to Thiruvananthapuram from the nearest Battalion of the Force, located at Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu, the release said.