Kerala government to rehabilitate landslide-hit people in 3 phases
A total of 192 body parts, a majority of which are unidentified, have been found so far since July 30
The rehabilitation of those affected by the massive landslides in Wayanad will be carried out in three phases, said the four-member cabinet sub-committee overseeing relief operations in the area, as the official death toll in the disaster touched 225 on Wednesday.
On the ninth day of search operations, one body and four body parts were found from the landslide-affected sites in Wayanad and Nilambur in Malappuram district. A total of 192 body parts, a majority of which are unidentified, have been found so far since July 30 when massive landslides, within a space of three hours, wiped out settlements of Chooralmala, Mundakkai, Attamala and Punchirimattom in Meppadi panchayat. A total of 138 persons are reported to be missing based on examination of ration card details by local officials.
Revenue minister K Rajan, part of the sub-committee, told reporters that the first phase of the rehabilitation process will involve those affected being moved from the relief camps set up at government schools to temporary accommodations.
“While those who want to shift to relatives’ homes are free to do so, others will be shifted to vacant homes and government properties with entire expenses being incurred by the administration. An expansive plan has been charted out for the first phase with the coordination of the local bodies. Special teams will be deputed to provide all necessary facilities at these places for the survivors,” he said.
In the second phase, a temporary transit home system will be used to accommodate the affected before they are shifted to permanent homes. Accommodations built using pre-fab technology in suitable areas will be given to the survivors. The final phase will involve a comprehensive township plan with all facilities in a safe and suitable environment for which land is being looked at, Rajan said.
A total of 136 counsellors have been appointed to look after the affairs and problems faced by the landslide affected across the relief camps. After complaints arose by survivors that they are getting frequent calls from money lendors and loan sharks threatening them to pay back the debts, the government has called for a state-level meeting of the banking committee under the leadership of the chief secretary to look into such problems.
Additionally, an expert team under the state disaster management department will visit the landslide-affected sites and submit a report to the state government. The team will involve officials from hydrology, geology, soil conservation departments and hazard analysts.
The Wayanad district administration has released a draft list of 138 persons reported to be missing in the landslides. When the DNA tests and collection of blood samples are completed and their results evaluated, the number of missing is expected to come down, the revenue minister said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the landslide affected areas in Wayanad on Aug 10, said officials familiar with the matter. He is likely to fly down to Kannur airport from where he will board a chopper and take an aerial survey of the affected areas. He is also expected to visit the relief camps at government schools where survivors and kin of the deceased are housed.