Even as a week has passed since the advent of the monsoon, local self-government institutions in a few rural areas which are prone to frequent landslips and flash floods are yet to devise a better disaster management plan.
The identification of suitable locations for opening relief camps has been pending. Despite proposals to shift some families from landslip-prone places to safer locations, they are yet to be implemented.
Moreover, a few families that were told to relocate in view of possible natural calamities have not complied with the instructions, citing absence of proper rehabilitation facilities.
There are several families in Kattippara panchayat that need immediate relocation with the advent of the monsoon. In 2018, as many as 14 lives were lost in a landslip at Karinchola in the panchayat. The rehabilitation support for the victims’ families too was not sufficient to meet the actual requirements.
The situation is not any different for over 20 families living near the Kannappankundu river in Puthuppadi panchayat. Several houses in the village were damaged in flash floods earlier.
There are also families in the hilly areas of Koombara in Thiruvambady panchayat which was rattled by frequent landslips. A few who lost their properties in natural calamities are yet to get compensation.
George Joseph, a native of Pulloorampara, says the Revenue Department is totally clueless about what should be done for people living in upland regions. It is often the local voluntary organisations that swing into action to help victims of natural calamities, he adds.
According to leaders of various farm organisations, local administrators have no proper mechanism to take stock of the actual loss suffered by farmers during the monsoon. There has not been even a single incident where a farmer has been given reasonable compensation for the loss.