A truckload of special relief kits from Tamil Nadu arrived at the base camp in Kattappana on Tuesday.
Each kit contained an aluminium pot, steel spoon, food plate, tea glass, 5 kg of rice, potato, curry powder, cereals, sugar, oil, salt, candlestick, matchbox and a woolen cover sheet. There were 1,000 relief packets given by the Tamil Nadu government to the people of Kerala. The special kits were in addition to the loads of rice, grocery items, vegetables and clothes that were brought from the neighbouring State.
“This is meant to help people who have lost everything in the floods,” said a Tamil Nadu government official who monitored the delivery of the kits.
Tamil Nadu had also witnessed a flood situation that left people struggling to rebuild their lives. “Those who have lost everything should rebuild their lives without despair,” he said. The floods had inflicted heavy damage on the people and brought misery to those who had lost their houses. As a neighbouring State, we should be in solidarity with the people here,” he added.
Saju Sebastian, assistant development commissioner in-charge of the Kattappana base camp, told The Hindu that there was an emotional bond between the people of Tamil Nadu and those in Idukki. People from Tamil Nadu reached the camp with packets of vegetables and other essential items even before the special kits arrived. They had a special concern for the people here. “They enquired about everything and talked to the those affected,” he said.
The base camp accommodated 650 people and nearly half of them returned home by Tuesday. Mr. Sebastian said the special kits from Tamil Nadu were being given to the people in the relief camps in the four taluks, except Thodupuzha, when they return home. “This is the only kit given to those leaving for home and all other items received at the base camp would be moved to the Collectorate,” he said.
