Monsoon calamities: loss assessment in progress

Major damage to houses, crops in Vadakara, Koyilandy and Thamarassery

Efforts are on to assess the loss in last week’s monsoon downpour in Kozhikode district.

Revenue and Agriculture departments will make separate assessments ahead of granting compensation to those who have suffered losses. Large-scale damage to houses and crops have been reported from Vadakara, Koyilandy and Thamarassery taluks.

To avoid delay in preparing the estimate, both the departments will seek the support of taluk-level disaster management committees. Farmers have been asked to provide details of their losses to control rooms.

On the directive of the District Collector, Revenue Department squads have finalised the locations for rehabilitating families from coastal areas facing sea erosion threats. For fishermen’s families, the distribution of free ration will go on till July 31. Application for free aid can be submitted to the nearest Matsya Bhavans for consideration.

Figures received at the taluk-level control rooms confirm that not less than any 50 houses have been damaged in the downpour. The government will provide ₹1 lakh to those whose houses have been totally destroyed. This will be in addition to the relief aid from the Disaster Management Authority.

The loss suffered by the Kerala State Electricity Board is yet to be ascertained. However, power supply has been resumed in almost all locations.

Building collapses

Meanwhile, a two-storey house attached to a building complex near Gujarati Street collapsed on Monday. The police said the decades-old building crumbled as a result of last week’s incessant rain. No one was hurt in the incident. The remaining portion of the building will be demolished soon as a safety measure.