Kerala floods - Muppathadam near Eloor in Kochi's Ernakulam
Fire and Rescue personnel evacuate local residents in an inflatable boat from a flooded area at Muppathadam near Eloor in Kochi's Ernakulam districtAFP/Getty Images

Kerala has been battered by extremely heavy rains in the last few days, and the downpour has left behind a massive trail of destruction in the state. Over 200 people have been killed in the floods and landslides and thousands have been displaced. However, there is finally a ray of hope for the state as rainfall has now subsided and rescue and relief operations have picked up pace. 

In addition, the Indian Meteorological Department has also said that Kerala is unlikely to receive such rain in the next five days. 

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  • While the Kochi airport remains closed due to water-logging, a commercial flight landed at the INS Garuda Kochi Naval Air Station after several days.
  • A team of doctors and paramedic staff also landed in Thiruvananthapuram amid concerns that the state would be hit by an epidemic
  • Almost 10 lakh people have now been moved to relief camps and CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that the rescue operations are now in the final stage
  • "The focus of the state government will be to bring life back to normalcy even as rescuing the people stranded in remote areas continues. Rehabilitation of the affected will be taken up with the cooperation of the local people. Apart from ensuring facilities at relief camps, those who are still staying in their homes, will be given provisions," the IE quoted him as saying.
  • The Indian Coast Guard has also deployed personnel to help with the relief operations
  • While hundreds of people have received help, there are some residents who are not ready to vacate their homes and move to safer areas even though their houses are submerged in water.
  • Subedar Babu M M, who is a part of the army's Madras Engineering Group pleaded with residents to move to safer areas, but they reportedly didn't budge.
  • "Please come out, it is not safe to stay here. We are here to save you. If the situation worsens, it would be difficult for us to come again," he told the residents, according to the Indian Express, but to no avail.
  • The red alert has finally been lifted from all the districts in the state
  • Rescue personnel have been racing against time to save people and property in the state.
  • About 30,000 personnel of the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy and the National Disaster Response Force are deployed in Kerala and they are known to be carrying out non-stop rescue and relief operations in the state. 
  • Several states have also come together to help Kerala and have donated lakhs of money and other items to help the affected residents.