Kerala to urge Centre to declare Cyclone Ockhi as national calamity

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 2: The Kerala government decided to urge the Centre to declare Cyclone Ockhi, which left a trail of destruction in the state, as a national calamity.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan entrusted chief secretary K M Abraham with the task of preparing a memorandum in this regard, chief minister office (CMO) sources said.

Vijayan met some injured fishermen, who were rescued from the choppy waters, at the medical college hospital here today and enquired about their well-being. All that was possible has been done by the government, Vijayan later told reporters.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Ramesh Chennithala urged him to declare Cyclone Ockhi, which wreaked havoc in the state, Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep in the last two days, as a national disaster.

PTI