Kerala floods: UN report put loss at Rs 31,000 crore
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has suffered a total loss of Rs 31,000 crore in the recent floods, says the UN report. The Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) conducted by the United Nation has put the loss suffered by the state in various sectors in the recent flood at Rs 31,000 crore. United Nations Resident Coordinator, Yuri Afanasiev, handed over the report to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday.
In his meeting the chief minister, Yuri Afanasiev said the UN will help to make available the best technology available in the international level for the rebuilding of the state. Extending the cooperation for mobilizing the resources for the rebuilding of the state from various international agencies, he said the UN can help the state in terms of planning and supervision and it would provide a platform to introduce the best rebuilding models in the international level.
While lauding the effort of the state in coordinating the rescue operations, the UN report said the intervention of fishermen numbering around 4,537 could rescue the precious lives of around 65,000 people using 669 fishing boats. Stating that the quantity of rainfall received during the peak time of the flood was unprecedented, the report said the worst flood in the history of the state after the deluge in 1924 has affected around 54 lakhs people in 14 districts, chiefly in the districts of Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Wayanad.
Around 14 lakhs of people had to be evacuated as a result of the flood. The potable water distribution to around 20 per cent of the total population was affected and three lakhs of wells were either polluted or damaged in the flood. Around 1,74,500 houses were damaged either completely or partially. The state has also lost around 2.6 per cent of the total GDP of the state in the flood and loss would be around one-third of the GDP if the loss in the all the primary sectors are reckoned, the report said.
The report also put forward a policy framework to rebuild a Nava Kerala conceived by the chief minister, giving thrust to integrated water resource management, environment-friendly land use, inclusive people-centric approach, and advanced technology to rebuild the Nava Kerala.
The report suggested ways to rebuild an environment-friendly state capable to withstand disasters which include the revision of present land use method, change in the pattern of consumption, construction houses capable to survive disasters, utilization of solar power at the most, integrated solid waste management, and promotion of green tourism. The meeting with chief minister also discussed ways to provide technology by the UN to build roads in areas where rain activity is severe.
Loss in various sectors
Construction of Houses - Rs 5,443 crore
Health - Rs 600 cr
Education and Child protection - Rs 214 cr
Culture and Heritage - Rs 80 cr
Agriculture, fisheries, $ Animal husbandry - Rs 4,498 cr
Drinking water distribution and Sanitation - Rs 1331 cr
Transportation - Rs 10,046 cr
Electricity - Rd 1,483 cr
Other infra facilities - Rs 2,446 cr
Environment - Rs 148 cr
Irrigation - Rs 1,483 cr
Employment and livelihood - Rs 3,896 cr
Disaster mitigation - Rs 110 cr
Gender, Social - Rs 35 cr
Local governance - Rs 32 cr
Water resource management - Rs 24 cr