Latest news with #PinarayiVijayan
United News of India
13 hours ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Over 28 lakh farmers in Kerala get Rs 6000 annually: BJP
Thiruvananthapuram, May 31 (UNI) Over 28 lakh farmers in Kerala receive Rs 6,000 annually in three installments as direct income support under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said. "So far, each eligible farmer has received a total of Rs 38,000 through regular installments, providing them with crucial financial assistance," the BJP state chief said in a message. While the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala turned its back on farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood with them, delivering consistent, direct support to empower our small-scale farmers, he claimed. "Both the LDF and UDF ran misleading campaigns to block the benefits of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme from reaching our farmers. But thanks to the transparency of direct benefit transfers, farmers received their rightful support without any room for misappropriation," he added. UNI DS ARN
India.com
a day ago
- Health
- India.com
Coronavirus big update: Active cases climb to 1828, 15 dead, 4 new variants found in India, maximum deaths in....
The number of COVID-19 cases in India has been once again increasing across India. As of May 30, the country reported 1,828 active cases, and 15 deaths so far, with 6 of them in Maharashtra alone. In response, the state government has started surveying for influenza and respiratory illnesses to monitor the situation closely. In Gujarat, six new cases were reported on Thursday. Among them is an 8-month-old baby who is currently on oxygen support due to breathing issues. Kerala now has 727 active cases. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan confirmed that the state is seeing cases of the Omicron JN variant LF7, which is contributing to the rise. Maharashtra conducted over 9,500 COVID tests since January. On Thursday alone, 79 new cases were detected. Mumbai has reported a total of 379 cases in 2025, with 1 case in January and February each, 4 in April, and a sharp rise of 373 cases in May. In Jammu & Kashmir, two new cases were confirmed on Thursday. Both patients are from Kerala and are students at the Government Dental College in Srinagar. Health authorities are keeping a close watch as the virus seems to be making a slow comeback in several regions.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Govt ramps up safety & relief measures
T'puram: As monsoon arrived early and caused widespread damage across Kerala, govt stepped up its preparedness, focusing on monsoon safety, disaster response and getting ready for school reopening on June 2. On Thursday, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned that rising river and stream water levels from heavy rain made it unsafe to bathe in them. At present, 1,296 people are housed in 59 relief camps across state. Authorities have identified areas prone to landslides and flooding—especially riverbanks, low-lying zones and ESAs—and advised residents to move to safer places or relief camps. Emergency operations centres are functioning 24 hours at district and taluk levels. Alongside traditional warning systems, alerts are being issued through sirens and hooters under state disaster management authority's 'Kavacham' early warning network. Civil defence, Aapda Mitra volunteers and other emergency personnel are on standby and panchayat-level emergency response teams have been activated, he said. Nine NDRF teams are being deployed as part of monsoon action plan and they are positioned in Idukki, Malappuram, Kasaragod and Thrissur. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like People Born 1940-1975 With No Life Insurance Could Be Eligible For This Reassured Get Quote Undo By June 1 additional teams will be deployed at Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Wayanad. These teams will remain in their districts throughout monsoon, he added. The CM urged the public to stay alert, especially at night when uprooted trees or damaged power lines may lie across roads or waterlogged areas. Those stepping out early for newspaper delivery, rubber tapping or other essential duties should take extreme caution. Suspicious or damaged power lines should be reported immediately to KSEB office or by calling 9496010101, he said. Residents associations and local communities can share rain updates via WhatsApp groups. Households and institutions must do necessary cleaning and drainage work to avoid health and safety issues, he added. The CM warned of intense rain, possible cloudbursts and flash floods. Heavy winds and soil saturation may trigger landslides and urban waterlogging. People living in homes with weak structures or unstable roofs are advised to stay vigilant and relocate if necessary, he added.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
State declares shipwreck a disaster, announces aid for fisherfolk
Thiruvananthapuram: The state govt on Thursday declared the recent shipwreck off Kochi as a state-specific disaster and announced immediate relief for affected fisherfolk. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said each impacted family in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts would receive Rs 1,000 and six kilograms of free rice as interim relief. Liberian cargo vessel MSC ELSA 3 had capsized around 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally on Sunday. The Coast Guard initially reported the vessel to the State Disaster Management Authority at 4pm on May 24 after it listed 38 nautical miles off Kochi. It was carrying 643 containers, including 13 with calcium carbide and 46 with hydrazine-based plastic components. Around 100 containers are estimated to have fallen into the sea, Vijayan said. As many as 54 containers have washed ashore along the coasts of Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. Nurdles, small plastic pellets, have been released onto the beaches, particularly in Thiruvananthapuram, from some containers. Cleaning operations are underway, with police, SPC volunteers, Aapta Mitra teams and civil defence personnel deployed across affected zones. Drone surveys have been completed to identify contaminated areas, he said. The govt has contacted MSC regarding the environmental impact, loss of livelihoods and tourism damages. The company has been urged to remove the ship from the Kerala coast. The Coast Guard, Navy, NDRF's CBRN team and fire and rescue services are actively involved in the response operations. A sonar survey is being launched to accurately locate the sunken vessel and surrounding containers. Once mapped, the area will be marked with buoys, and restricted fishing zones may be revised accordingly. Fishing is prohibited within a 20-nautical-mile radius of the sunken site. Vijayan said 20 containers were handed over to Customs, and more were being moved to Kollam. Deputy nautical advisor Capt Aneesh Joseph has been appointed as the nodal officer to assist Kerala in filing insurance claims, leveraging his experience with other state govts. P&I (Protection & Indemnity) Insurance has set up a claims desk in Kochi. Efforts to extract the ship's fuel are ongoing while authorities have clarified that calcium carbide containers likely sank to the seabed due to their weight, posing no immediate risk. Agencies are testing water and sand samples for contamination, and current assessments indicate no need to avoid seafood. The removal of the vessel and remaining containers is expected only after the monsoon season, the CM said.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
No need for concern over COVID cases, says CM
A small number of COVID cases have been reported from the State, but there is no need for concern as testing and treatment facilities, including medicines, oxygen and ICU beds, have been ensured, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. At a press conference here on Thursday (May 29, 2025), Mr. Vijayan said that the total number of active COVID in the State was 727 and the majority of them were in Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts. He said the cases in Kerala were mostly caused by Omicron JN variant LF7 that is reported in southeast Asian countries. In the wake of the increase in COVID cases, the Health Minister had called a State-level meeting of rapid response teams and directed that ample precautions be taken, he said. The Minister also held district-level meetings to assess the situation in the State, he added. Directive on masks 'Those with symptoms such as cold, sore throat, cough, and shortness of breath must wear masks. It is also advisable for the elderly, pregnant women, and those with serious illnesses to wear masks in public places and while traveling. Masks have been made mandatory in hospitals. Health workers must wear masks,' Mr. Vijayan said. He said the Health department was closely monitoring the increase in COVID cases in the State. The Chief Minister further said that since it was the monsoon season, constant vigilance against infectious diseases was necessary. He advised extreme caution against leptospirosis infection as it can be severe. He said that those involved in relief operations or dealing with soil and sewage must take doxycycline as per the instructions of health workers to prevent leptospirosis infection. Mr. Vijayan also warned against the possibility of water-borne diseases and said that only boiled water should be consumed.
