The district administration claimed a loss of Rs.64 crore when a Central team visited the district on Monday to review the monsoon-related calamities and collect evidence from people.
Footage and photographs explaining the gravity of various rain-related calamities in urban and rural areas were shown to the Central delegation to convince them about the losses and substantiate the district’s claims.
The report, presented by District Collector C.A. Latha, explained that no fewer than 35 houses were destroyed in the monsoon rain and flood. The number of damaged houses was 739. As per the Collector’s report, the estimated loss due to the damage of these houses was Rs.2.89 crore.
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The major losses projected by the Collector covering various sectors are agriculture (Rs.3.33 crore), irrigation (Rs.10.20 crore), Public Works (1.81 crore) Kerala State Electricity Board (Rs.1.22 crore), Fisheries (2.87 crore), and livestock (Rs.4.80 lakh).
The report also stated that Rs.5 crore was spent for carrying out various rescue and emergency operations in the district.
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Kakkayam
The team, led by G. Balasubramanyan, Chief Advisor to the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, also visited the Kakkayam valley and the dam premises where the rural roads collapsed in a recent landslip.
Team members
The other team members, including R. Ilavarasan from the Road Transport and Highway Department and M. Muraleedharan from the Central Planning Commission, were present to assess the loss.
Report to the Centre
Speaking to the media after the visit, the Central team members said their report, with a detailed loss estimate, would be submitted to the Union government shortly. “Steps would be taken in accordance with the existing rules and regulations of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF),” they said.
Along with the Collector, Additional District Magistrate K.P. Ramadevi, Deputy Collector (Disaster Management) T.A. Rasheed, PWD Executive Engineer P.N. Sasikumar, and Panchayat Deputy Director N. Surendran accompanied the Central team to various locations.