Kerala is facing the wrath of nature and several dams across the state were opened due to severe rainfall. The opening of Cheruthoni dam shutters (part of the Idukki dam project) after 26 years, after the water levels threatened to hit the maximum capacity in the Idukki Dam, flooded several nearby areas. The districts of Wayanad, Kozhikode, Idukki, Palakkad and Malappuram are the most affected parts of the state.
The loss due to the natural disaster is estimated at 8316 Crore INR and the Chief Minister has called for the people to donate generously to the distress relief fund of the government. As of Tuesday, 443 villages have been declared flood-hit and 20,000 houses have been destroyed.
One of Kerala's favourite sons, former India international footballer NP Pradeep, has called for unity and support from all while stressing that people have suffered significant losses.
Clint Furtado
"While the place where I live in Idukki district has not been affected too much, the friends and people I know at the Cheruthoni area have lost everything. They've suffered huge losses. When Kerala faces a crisis, it is our duty to help.
"People have cancelled celebrations and donated the fund collected for the same towards the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF)," he said.
Several NGOs are also collecting everyday materials and delivering them to the relief camps where more than 30,000 people are pondering their return to normal life.
From movie stars like Kamal Hassan, Allu Arjun and Mohanlal to charity and social welfare initiatives like Anbodu Kochi, There For You and Blood Donors Kerala have all launched fully fledged collective efforts to help out those in need at these relief camps.
The rains have taken away their houses and belongings and former Kerala Blasters scout has called for support in these tough times.
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"I read in the newspapers that a Bengali seller who sold blankets for a living here gave away all those blankets to the people who are in need.
"When people end up at the relief camps, they might not even have a pair of clothes to change into. These are people who've lost most if not all their possessions. "There was also news that people were giving away unusable materials including clothes to the camps. Remember that this could happen to any one of us."
Pradeep firmly believes that people in the field of sports will keep rivalries aside and join hands to help each other in times of need. Bengaluru FC, and Chennayin FC, two neighbouring rivals of Kerala Blasters, have already come out in support and the Blues are collecting and delivering essential materials to the relief camps.
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