A total of 5,753 people from 1,688 families are now living in 68 relief camps across six taluks in the district, according to figures from the district administration. With the situation slowly returning to normalcy in some areas, 15 camps were closed down, as the residents returned to their homes.
In addition to food, drinking water and other relief material provided by voluntary organisations and individuals, the employees and volunteers are also preparing food at the taluk offices to be taken to camps as per requirement. Medical check-ups are also being held in the camps.
The district administration has collected 54 loads of essential materials till Saturday evening. These were taken in trucks and buses to the flood-hit regions in Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Idukki districts. The public has been queuing up in large numbers to contribute to the three collection centres opened by the district administration at SMV Higher Secondary School, Cotton Hill Girls’ Higher Secondary School and Priyadarshini Hall.
Twenty-two loads of relief materials were sent to Pathanamthitta district, while 17 loads were sent to Alappuzha, 10 to Kottayam, and four to Idukki.
One load was sent to the technical area of the Thiruvananthapuram airport, for airdropping to areas still marooned. The collection centres will function on Sunday too. Those bringing in food items should take care to provide dry food, which will not get spoilt in a few days.
Help from Spaniard
Grizelda, a traveller from Spain who had been staying in Varkala, came to the Varkala taluk office on Saturday with relief material, after hearing about the massive floods. A collection centre has been opened at the Public Office building near Napier Museum. On Saturday, one load of material from here were taken to Thazhakkara and Mannar panchayats in Alappuzha. Contact – 0471 – 2786322, 2786323, 2786321.
The District Collector has ordered that government and private hostels should be kept open during Onam holidays, as many who are staying here cannot return to their flood-ravaged homes. Those running these hostels should provide food to the residents.