Kerala Rains LIVE updates: PM Modi to visit state on Friday evening; more than 52,000 families evacuated

The situation in Kerala is expected to worsen as heavy rains will continue to pound several parts of the state. The death toll has now reached 97, with several cities under water. The relief efforts are not enough and the national media is turning a blind eye to it.

Here are the LIVE Updates: 

• ANI has shared fresh pictures from Kumily district where movement of traffic has been affected due to landslides caused by heavy rainfall.   

• According to officials, the flood-hit state is facing a severe shortage of essential supplies. While hospitals in the state faced a major oxygen shortage today, fuel stations in the state are also running out of fuel. 
• Meanwhile, Water Resources secretary Tinku Biswal has rubbished the rumors of cracks in the Mullaperiyar Dam. She has asked the Cyber Cell to take strict action against those who are spreading fake rumors on social media.
• The official twitter handle of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has tweeted a map which shows the various areas where central forces have been deployed so far. 

• The NDRF on Friday told media that 4,000 people have been moved to safer places and another 44 have been rescued from flooded areas in the state over the past nine days. 
• The pregnant lady who was airlifted by the Navy delivered a baby boy in Kerala's Aluva, ANI reports. 

• As rescue operations are on, a picture of Kerala's Finance Minister Thomas Isaac is winning hearts on the internet. The picture tweeted by CPI(M) shows the minister holding a rescued baby in his arms. 

• The Indian Navy did a commendable job by airlifting a pregnant lady whose water bag was leaking. She has been evacuated to Sanjivani. 

• According to an official spokesperson, the centre has mobilised deployment of 339 motorised boats, 2800 life jackets, 1400 life boys, 27 light towers and 1000 raincoats, as reported by News 18. 1 Lakh food packets have also been distributed and efforts are on to supply another 1 lakh packets of food. The railways has also provided 1,20,000 water bottles and another 1,20,000 water bottles will soon be despatched. A special train carrying 2.9 lakh litres of water is also being run which is scheduled to reach Kayamkulam on Saturday. 
• Kerala floods: Here's how you can make your contribution to CM distress relief fund
• Meanwhile, the centre has assured the Supreme Court that it was doing its best to tackle the flood situation in Kerala. It told the apex court that all necessary measures were being taken to help the victims . The Supreme Court will hear the matter on Aug 24 now. 
• The floods have affected the production of key plantation crops like tea, coffee and black pepper in the state as Kerala has received about 30 % more rain than it usually receives. News 18 reported that thousands of tourists have also been left stranded in several parts of the state while the government is requesting the centre to send in more choppers and teams of the central forces to carry out rescue operations. 
• The Supreme Court on Friday asked authorities to find ways to bring down the water level of the Mullaperiyar dam from 142 ft to 139 feet. It said that it was no expert to issue directions on the crisis and the National Crisis Management Committee's directions on the rescue, relief and rehabilitation will be binding on the Kerala government. 
• Ecologist and founder of the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru Madhav Gadgil, on Friday told media persons that the recent floods in Kerala are a result of an irresponsible environment policy of the state. Gadgil, who also headed the team of National Disaster Management Authority which had submitted a report on the sensitive Western Ghat region, called the Kerala floods as a "mandmade calamity". 
• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a press release has said: "As per the primary assessment, the state has incurred a loss of Rs 8,316 crore (Rs 83 billion). Kerala is facing its worst flood in history after 1924. Ten out of 14 districts were badly affected. Twenty-seven dams in the state were opened due to water rise. Thirty-seven people died in just four days. There were mudslides and landslides in 211 different places across the state."
• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was supposed to leave for the United States of America for his medical treatment on Aug 19 is most likely to cancel his plans and will instead, attend the cabinet meeting on Aug 21, according to reports. 

• The Supreme Court, after hearing the Centre's plea to reduce the water level in Mullaperiyar dam, has asked the Tamil Nadu government to follow directions of the centre so that the dam can take additional inflow of water. The apex court has also directed the Kerala government to file an affidavit on rescue and rehabilitation measures. 

• More than 52,000 families have been evacuated while many of them are still missing. 2.5 lakh families have been admitted in relief centres. Thousands are left stranded atop buildings and are waiting for rescue teams, according to latest inputs. 
• According to News 18, the local fishermen have also joined the rescue mission by bringing in their boats to help in evacuation of the stranded people in Aluva, Kalady, Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha and Chalakudy areas. 
• The Indian Navy has shared  the locations where its relief teams have been deployed. 

• ANI has shared the latest visuals from flood-hit Allappuzha district. 

• Here's how you can help the flood-hit state:

• The CMO has tweeted that they are getting multiple repetitive rescue requests and has asked the people to ensure that they add the date and time along with the exact location, any significant landmark, district, number of stranded people and contact number of victim in all the new requests.

• Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that the death toll has risen to 164. Vijayan also updated media on the measures being taken by his government to take control of the floods. "All measures are being taken to rescue people. We have requested centre to provide more helicopters and have received more than 150 boats this morning. We are trying to rescue all the stranded people by means of boats," News 18 quoted the Chief Minister as saying. 
• The Coast Guard has rescued 1342 people and 4250 have been guided to safer locations. 18 teams of the Indian Coast Guard are doing their best to evacuate people to safer areas as 5 teams are on standby.
• More rains are expected by afternoon in the state already hit with massive floods, according to sources. 
• In wake of the floods, several trains have been fully cancelled. The following  trains stand fully cancelled:

           Train No. 16860 Mangalore – Chennai Egmore Express 

           Train No 16605 Mangalore Central – Nagercoil Jn Ernad 

           Train No.16649 Mangalore – Nagercoil Parasuram Express

           Train No. 22609 Mangalore - Coimbatore Express 

           Train No 12081 Kannur – Thiruvananthapuram Jan shatadhi Express 

           Train No.16308 Kannur – Alappuzha Express

           Train No. 66611/66612 Palakkad–Ernakulam MEMU services cancelled 

• The Supreme Court has agreed on hearing a PIL filed in relation with the floods in Kerala. The apex court had on Thursday, directed the sub-committee constituted under section 9 of the Disaster Managment Act to hold a meeting with representatives from Kerala and Tamil Nadu to think about ways to reduce the water level in Mullaperiyar dam to a height of 139 feet. 
• The BSNL has announced unlimited free calls for seven days from Friday in a few of the worst hit districts like Wayanad, Idukki, Alleppey, and Pathanamthitta. Residents of these flood affected districts can send unlimited SMS and also enjoy 20 minute free calls to non-BSNL numbers for the next seven days.
• Meanwhile, Karnataka is also grappling with heavy rains  and multiple landslides. The Kodagu-Mangalore highway is blocked and locals are facing immense difficulties as they continue to remain stuck in their homes. 

• On Friday (August 17), red alert was issued in all 13 districts except Kasaragod.

• Prime minister Narendra Modi has said that he will be going to Kerala on Friday evening, August 17, to take stock of the flood which has wreaked havoc in the state.

• The waterlogged Kochi airport will remain closed till August 26.