The State government has announced a complete rehabilitation programme for the flood-affected people of Kavalappara and Pathaar in Pothukal village near Nilambur.
Minister for Higher Education K.T. Jaleel, who coordinates the district’s relief work, said that sites would be found to rehabilitate the people of Kavalappara and Pathaar. Agencies with expertise in construction would be roped in and the use of pre-fab modules will be considered, he said. Mr. Jaleel was presiding over a review meeting of the flood relief work held here. E.T. Mohammed Basheer, P.V. Abdul Wahab, MPs; MLAs C. Mammootty, T.V. Ibrahim, Syed Abid Husain Thangal, A.P. Anil Kumar, V. Abdurahman, T.A. Ahamed Kabeer, K.N.A. Khader, P. Ubaidulla, M. Ummer, P. Abdul Hameed, P.K. Basheer and Manjalamkuzhi Ali, district panchayat president A.P. Unnikrishnan, and District Collector Jaffer Malik attended the meeting.
Five more bodies were recovered from Kavalappara, near Pothukal, on Friday as several teams of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services continued their search by removing huge layers of mud. The search continued for the seventh day. Thirty-eight bodies have been recovered from Kavalappara so far. Twenty-one people are still missing. Minister for Health K.K. Shylaja visited Kavalappara on Friday. She consoled the relatives of the victims of one of the worst landslides in Kerala’s history.
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Visits mosque
She also visited the Salafi Juma Masjid at Pothukal, a part of which had been converted into an autopsy room. She reviewed the health situation in the district at Pothukal Public Health Centre.
The Minister asked the health workers to maintain vigil against the outbreak of epidemics in the wake of the floods. Ensuring of safe water for drinking would be essential, she said. She said the district had enough stocks of medicines to counter epidemics, including leptospirosis and H1N1 fever. A special health awareness campaign will be held focusing on Nilambur, she said.
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As many as 138 health institutions in the district, including 16 PHCs, were damaged in the floods. All people who had come in contact with floodwaters would be given doxycycline tablets. All Saturdays in the district will be celebrated as Doxy Day, she said.