THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has identified four areas for sectoral assessment as part of the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) of landslide-hit areas of Wayanad.
PDNA will focus on the social, infrastructure, productive and cross-cutting sectors for rehabilitation. Along with this, the women and child development department has formulated draft guidelines for the rehabilitation of children who had lost their parents by arranging sponsorship from individuals and establishments.
According to the SDMA’s final assessment, the total area of the landslide is estimated at 86,000 sq m. Wards 10, 11 and 12 of Meppadi panchayat were affected in the landslide leaving 231 dead and 119 missing. Experts from the National Disaster Management Authority and SDMA had visited the site from August 26 to 31 and assessed the ground-level situation.
In the social sector, damage assessment and estimation of recovery and reconstruction needs were undertaken. The focus was on housing and settlements, education, health and nutrition, public buildings, civic amenities, and creating psycho-social wellbeing infrastructure.
In infrastructure sector, the priority has been fixed on providing drinking water and sanitation, roads, bridges, power and irrigation. In the productive sector, agriculture and horticulture, animal husbandry, tourism and MSME are given priority while in the cross-cutting sector priority will be on disaster risk reduction and environment, forest-environment and social inclusion- tribals, persons with disability, gender perspective.
It has also been decided to prepare the PDNA report after collection of data. The report will present sector-wise damage. The cost estimate of the total damage will be included in the report. KSDMA has been entrusted with drafting the report. It will submit the final report to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Meanwhile, as part of the process to rehabilitate children who had lost parents, the women and children development department has decided to receive financial help in the form of sponsorship. Under the 2015 Juvenile Justice Act, Section 45, three types of sponsorships could be accepted.
In the first type of sponsorship, financial aid could be given in the form of a one-time deposit which could be withdrawn when the child reaches 18. In the second type, a monthly sponsorship can be provided for the children. In the third type, the sponsors could give financial aid needed for the children for education in the name of the institution. The department has been asked to submit the draft within the next two weeks.