THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The heavy rain and landslides the state witnessed this monsoon have led to a loss of `79.87 crore to the exchequer. This includes an agriculture loss of `71.39 crore over 7,264 hectares and loss of `8.48 crore due to the destruction of houses.Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan told the Assembly on Monday as many as 56 people died in the monsoon season, while four were still missing.
“In all, 23,303 people from 5,520 families have been shifted to 115 relief camps across the state. As many as 235 houses have been fully damaged while 5,022 houses have been partially damaged,” Chandrasekharan said.
Responding to an adjournment motion notice from UDF legislator Parakkal Abdulla on the monsoon calamities in the state, Chandrasekharan said the government had issued a general warning in advance.
The Opposition UDF staged a walkout from the House alleging lapses in rescue operation following landslides. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged there was major delay in bringing the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to the affected site.
He termed Chandrasekharan and the State Disaster Management Authority total failure. “There had been issues during Cyclone Ockhi,” he alleged.The UDF also demanded a comprehensive package to victims of monsoon calamities.“Every year, the state gets around `1,200 crore from the Centre for disaster relief,” said Parakkal Abdulla, who urged the government to impart proper training to fire and rescue personnel to deal with such emergency situations.
The government denied the allegations and said the State Disaster Management Authority which met on June 15 had reviewed the situation and issued necessary directives to take follow-up measures.
Chief Minister Pinarayi assured all support to ensure better compensation to the victims and making the roads in northern Kerala — many of which got damaged or washed away following the rains — motorable. The Kerala-Karnataka interstate highway was also severely damaged, affecting vehicular traffic through the region.
“The matter has been taken up with the Karnataka Chief Minister when I met him at the NITI Aayog meeting the day before. He has assured a favourable decision and has instructed the Chief Secretary,” Pinarayi told the legislators.
Body of last victim found
The body of the last missing person in the Karinchola landslide was retrieved here on Monday. The deceased was identified as Nafeesa, 55, wife of Abdurahman. With this, the toll has touched 14. It was in the wee hours of Thursday, a major landslide had occurred in area ravaging an area of over five acres.
The bodies of 13 others were retrieved by the officials of disaster management and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), who have been camping there since Thursday.