New Delhi, The train services which had collapsed following the incessant downpour in Kerala, have been partially restored.
Train services in Kayankulam-Kottayam- Ernakulam and Palakkad-Shoranur-Kozhikkode sections have been resumed.
Trivandrum- Ernakulam section was also connected by passenger Special Trains for the flood period.
Heavy damages caused by the floods in Aluva- Thrissur, Thrissur-Shoranur, Kayamkulam-Kottayam- Ernakulam Shoranur-Tirur, Shoranur- Palakkad routes have been fixed.
Few special trains were started via Trivandrum, Tirunelveli, and Madurai to Chennai, Egmore, Howarah, Gorakhpur, Bhubaneswar routes to evacuate stranded people.
The traffic in Aluva- Thrissur, Thrissur-Shoranur sections was also restored.Barring the flood-affected areas, the Southern Railway had began running 159 Express trains and 11 passenger trains connecting Kerala to the rest of the states from August 16-18.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday announced that the severe inundation claimed at least 223 lives between August 8-20.
Briefing the media in Trivandrum, the chief minister said, “223 people lost their lives between August 8-20. Six people died today. The Centre said they will make all necessary requirements available to us but in today’s situation what is most needed is the necessary help, equivalent to the total damages caused so far.
The chief minister further informed that the state has suffered a loss of Rs 19,512 crores due to floods.
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) met for the fifth time in five days in Delhi on Monday to review the rescue and relief operations in the flood-affected areas in Kerala.
Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha chaired the meeting. The Chief Secretary of Kerala participated in the meeting via video conference. He informed that there has been less rainfall and floodwater has started receding.
