KOCHI:Around 10 lakh people have been displaced and devastated by the monsoon floods that ravaged the state. The flood victims have been experiencing psychological stress as they have lost all their belongings, including their houses. Rebuilding life is the biggest challenge staring at them.
According to economists, the mental health impact is more important than the loss of property. Many people have been mentally depressed due to the loss of assets they built with their lifetime earnings.
“The government alone will not be able to rebuild the lives of the people displaced by the flood. The civil society, corporate groups, NGOs and students should join hands to support them. Let the government concentrate on ‘Mission Rehabilitate’ and the civil society can take up the ‘Mission Rebuilding lives’. Students of engineering colleges, polytechnic colleges and ITIs can volunteer to replace the flood-damaged electrical wiring, repair of home appliances, servicing flood-damaged cars and ensuring the strength of the submerged houses,” said State Planning Board Infrastructure and Industry Division chief N R Joy.
According to him, the corporate companies can provide their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to support the flood victims. “Home appliances companies and car dealers can utilise the service of the students to help their customers. Helping the flood victims to overcome the psychological stress is more important. The psychiatrist community should come forward to provide counselling to them. The service of student groups like NSS, NCC, Scouts and Guides, Student Police Cadets and Junior Red Cross should be utilised to help the flood displaced people,” he said.
According to Jose Sebastian, associate professor, Gulati Institute of Finance & Taxation, the low-income groups are the most affected and many of them are devastated and suicide tendency will be high among them.
“We should provide them psychological counselling and assure the support of civil society to rebuild lives. The government should provide them a grant of `50,000 for maintenance and an interest-free loan to buy home appliances. As the flood victims have lost everything, they won’t be able to give collateral security. So, the government should discuss with the state-level bankers’ committee and provide guarantee for interest-free loans,” said Jose Sebastian.
10 L People have been displaced by the floods