Thiruvananthapuram: In a bid to lessen the suffering of the people of Kerala and to provide them timely relief, Headquarters Maintenance Command, Indian Air Force at Nagpur took an initiative under the leadership of Air Marshal Hemant Sharma AVSM VSM, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief to airlift relief material for flood-hit Kerala.
Civil Administration and various NGOs at Nagpur have also donated relief material for the flood-affected people. Even citizens of Nagpur have come forward to contribute relief material. The vendors who supplied the utility materials also extended considerable discounts on the purchases made for relief material.
The collected relief material was airlifted on August 23 Nagpur by a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force so that it can reach the affected citizens at the earliest.
Apart from relief material being airlifted, 22.5 tonnes worth food grains (rice, dal, wheat flour, vegetables, oils, milk etc.), clothing, medicines, cleaning and sanitary materials and water was dispatched by a parcel van attached to Sabari Express.
Divisional Railway Manager / Secunderabad Division Amit Varadan personally monitored the loading and dispatch at Secunderabad station. These materials were booked to Ernakulam station and consigned to District Magistrate / Ernakulam.
As many as 357 people have lost their lives so far, with the state facing a loss of Rs 19,512 crore. Rescue and relief operations in the state have been stepped up to evacuate the stranded people from the flood-affected areas.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]